Midori
by Leah by Michelangelo
Summary: After a fight with Leo, Raph hits the streets and saves a teenage girl from a large group of Foot Bots. He returns home late and unusually calm, with some new information on the Foot Gang's latest operations. When a crime-fighting vigilante takes to the streets, why does Raph enjoy fighting with her so much? Has Mikey got his brother's strange behavior all figured out? Find out!
1. Meet Midori

**Hi guys! For those of you who haven't read any of my other fics this is my first time writing a Raph/OC fic and I am super excited! **

**I've been working on this plotline for sooo long, and now I finally had the chance to get down the first chapter! Disclaimer: the only characters in this fic that 100% belong to me is that of Midori and her family, all the rest are not mine (unfortunately) So please read and Review! I can't wait to see what you think. If I get some reviews then I'll keep it going, but if not then it can just be a one-shot. So here it is guys! Enjoy!**

**Oh! I almost forgot! My OCs are exactly that. OCs. Any likeness to individuals living or dead is purely coincidental!**

**-Leah by Michelangelo ****!**

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**Ch. 1-Meet Midori Yamamoto**

I snarled, clenching my fists with frustration. Why do they ALWAYS have to get me riled up! It's like they just don't know when to stop! They're on my case 24/7! I just—UGH!

Thud.

_Wait what was that?_ I quieted and listened carefully. The thud was followed by a muffled groan. I canted my head. Then I heard the quiet sounds of blades spinning. I jumped over a couple of rooftops towards the sounds. I cautiously peered down into an alleyway, not quite sure of what I'd find.

My eyes widened in shock. Foot Bots! And they were attacking…_a girl?_

One of them punched her in stomach and she stumbled backwards. Two of them with blades began approaching her from behind. I grabbed my sai about to jump in when I got a better look at her.

Wow. _She's hot._ What? _No! Not what I should be doing right now._ Then her posture caught my eye. She had one foot pressed against the building, obviously planning to launch herself at them, using the push for extra momentum. _Interesting._ I took a look at the alley. I can't just jump right in or she'll see me. Well it is pretty dark down there. _If I stay in the shadows maybe…_

There was aloud commotion from below snapping me out of my thoughts. She had launched herself off the wall and was attempting to fight them. The girl made quite a few good strong hits, but the Foot soldiers, being robots, were unaffected. One of them grabbed her from behind, holding onto her, while the other pointed its blades at her, ready to go in for the kill.

My bright green eyes narrowed. _All right, that's it!_

* * *

One of the Foot soldiers grabbed me from behind and I fought with all my might. One of them pointed its blades at me and I closed my eyes, preparing for the end.

I heard a furious battle cry and opened my eyes. The blade that had been headed straight for me was met not even an inch away from my chest. I stared at my giant green savior for a moment, in complete awe.

It was a giant…_turtle._ And he was wearing a mask, a red mask. He glared heatedly at the Foot soldier that had been about to kill me and I shuddered. Boy, if looks could kill that guy would dead ten times over, _at least_. The turtle had intercepted that killing strike with some kind of ninja weapon. _A sai_-my mind supplied, an ancient sword breaker. The turtle growled viciously before throwing a sai at the Foot soldier, hitting it right in the head. I stared in shock and horror as the form fell to ground, but when I looked closer, I realized that the area around the wound was sparking. _A robot? My eyes widened. So that's why they're so strong._

More of the Foot Robots moved towards him, and I struggled to get away from the one that was holding me, but it continued to hold me back. Suddenly the turtle turned towards me and threw one of the sai into the Foot's head, just over my shoulder. I gulped. _He's got good aim._ I contemplated the weapon for a moment and pulled it out of the robot's head before pushing its destroyed frame off of me and onto the ground. I smiled at the sai in my hand and charged one of the other robots, avoiding its strikes masterfully before going on the offensive, sweeping my leg and stabbing the Foot Bot in the head. I spun the weapon a couple of times with a grin_. I could get used to this._

I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and I turned, sai at the ready. My eyes widened again as I saw the turtle standing in front of me, its hand outstretched. I looked behind him and saw a pile of destroyed Foot Bots. _Wow…he works fast._

"Ya mind?" He said, putting his hand out yet again.

My eyes widened even more. "You can talk?!"

His eyes narrowed and I stared into them. They had to be the most attractive eyes I'd ever seen. Neon green, framed and accentuated by the slightly faded, battered mask he was wearing.

The turtle took a step towards me and I pulled away, not out of fear, but rather instinctively preparing for attack. The red-masked turtle stared at me for a moment before speaking again. "Look, I know you're about to run off screaming, but would ya mind giving me my weapon back first?"

"I'm not going to run off. And I definitely won't scream." He gave me a rather shocked stare before it turned to a more dubious look. I crossed my heart, "I swear."

He raised an eye-ridge. "Yeah, right. You telling me you're not scared?"

"Of your fighting prowess, yes I am rather intimidated, but scared? Nope. And afraid of you? Not at all." I said, stepping even closer to him to prove it. I held onto the end of the sai's middle prong, the handle pointed towards him. He eyed it cautiously for a moment before taking it. "What no thanks?"

"Why should I?" He stared at me.

"Because it's rude not to and I did take one of those robots out for you."

He waved his hand, as though disinterested. "Psh. Please, I could have handled one more no problem."

"Sure of you yourself, much?" I stated.

"I can afford to be."

"Really?" I said, thoroughly amused.

"Yeah, I'm not over-confident, I'm just that good." He preened.

I rolled my eyes. _Boys._ "Yeah, keep dreaming, green eyes."

"Mind my asking why you're not afraid of me?"

I looked at him seriously. "You haven't given me any reason to be."

The turtle stared at me for a moment in silence, before he turned back to the pile of Foot Bots. "We should get out of here, no telling whether or not they called for back-up."

"What's the matter, tough-guy? Think you can't handle a couple more?" I elbowed him good-naturedly.

"Of course I could take it, but I'm not even supposed to be up here." He grinned and I assumed it was some kind of inside joke. We climbed up the fire escape and onto the roof. I leaned heavily against the railing on the last flight, really feeling the after effects of the beating I'd taken. Two three-fingered green hands reached out to steady me and help me up the last few steps. "Something tells me you won't be able to get home by yourself." He stated.

"Thanks Captain Obvious." Green eyes rolled at me and I giggled softly. He looked up and our eyes met briefly for a moment.

"Why were they after you?"

"I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with…" I paused, this turtle had saved my life, maybe he'd be interested in helping me. "I've been investigating a series of isolated incidents among recent shipments of antique artifacts from Japan. I know the Foot are involved somehow. I just know it and I'm going to get them, once the police know about their illegal activities, the Foot Clan will no longer be able to operate in New York." The turtle stared at me. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in helping me?"

"I might be." He answered slowly. The emerald green amphibian looked at me, his eyes piercing my very soul. "Why are you doing this?"

"The Foot…killed my father." I stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. I felt the gravity of the statement settle in my stomach. There was such emotion, such passion in the words, almost as though he had experienced the same.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"You're welcome."

I tried to take a step forward onto the rooftop without his support and I nearly stumbled from the sheer amount of pain from my already forming bruises. Again the emerald green arms reached out to steady me and I sighed dramatically before turning to look at him. "You mind seeing me home? I don't think I can make it on my own."

My red-masked companion shrugged with indifference. "Sure thing." He turned his towards me and bent down slightly. "Grab onto my shell."

On eyebrow shot up as I stared at him with a look that said 'are you crazy?' The turtle chuckled.

"Just do it."

I stepped forward slowly but stumbled and ended up falling against his carapace. I wrapped my arms gently around his neck to keep myself from slipping further. The next thing I knew the turtle was running towards the end of the rooftop. "What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"Relax and enjoy the ride." He responded as he jumped off the building. I closed my eyes, holding on for dear life. Suddenly we were on another rooftop and the reptile was running once again.

"How did you do that?!"

"Eh, it comes with practice. This is kinda late to be asking this but where to you live?"

"Just north of Eleventh and Bleaker."

"Then we shouldn't be going this way." He stated as he turned and jumped off the building we were currently on, heading in another direction. This time I kept my eyes open and watched the city flying beneath us. I looked forward and saw the beautiful lights of New York City in the nighttime. This was the world that this turtle lived in, a world of bright lights, nighttime excursions. I wonder how many lives he's saved bedsides mine. It seems so incredible, so amazing.

The next thing I knew he was climbing down the fire escape just across the street from our apartment.

"Over there." I pointed to the fire escape across the way. "That's the window to my room." The turtle jumped to the fire escape, and landed quietly. He helped me open the window and I climbed in carefully. I turned back to look at him. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Came the reply. "I should get out of here before someone sees me."

"Wait. When I say thanks I mean it. If there's anything I can do-"

He cut me off midsentence staring at something in my room. "Sorry, I kinda have ta go." I didn't have to look over my shoulder to know that he'd seen the clock by my bedside. He must have somewhere to go…

"Oh." I replied, feeling strangely disappointed. "Will I ever see you again?" I asked with genuine interest and he hesitated, his green eyes examining me warily.

"You said something about the Foot being involved in shipping antiques?" He said quietly, "You mind explaining that to me?"

"Not shipping antiques, smuggling antiques." I corrected. Suddenly I heard movement in the next room, my parents' room. "You should go, come back tomorrow night at eleven and I'll tell you everything."

The reptile nodded slowly with understanding and turned to leave. He jumped down into the alley and I forced my way to the window when I realized, "Wait!" The turtle turned and looked up at me. "Midori."

"What?"

"My name, it's Midori Yamamoto."

He turned and continued down the alley before stopping and turning his head back slightly, "Call me Raph." The emerald green turtle said before he threw something at the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Pff. Show off." I said with one last roll of my eyes as I moved away from the window.

* * *

It was almost two o'clock in the morning before I got back to the lair. It had been almost three hours since I'd gone out. _Aw shell. Leo is so gonna lecture me_.

See we'd always had a kind of unspoken agreement that any turtle who went out alone (namely me) should try to get home before midnight. And I was two hours late. _If Lame-o-nardo doesn't kill me, Sensei is so going to finish me off._ I stepped warily into the lair, hoping that they'd all gone to sleep. It was all dark, so far, so good.

My hopes were dashed away when the lights snapped on revealing all three of my brothers and Sensei sitting on the couch. Leo and Sensei's eyes narrowed. Leo stood, obviously he was going to speak first. _Oh goody._

My blue-masked older brother approached me slowly without a word. He stopped about half an arm's length across from me and stared down into my eyes. I steeled myself, prepared for a lecture, but none came. SMACK! A stinging pain flared through the right side of my face, but I took it without a flinch staring blankly back at my brother, concealing my shock and amazement. _Did Leo just bitch-slap me?!_

"Raphael Hamato where the hell have you been?!"

"I was gone three hours, Leo. Big deal, I've had longer nights."

"But not without making contact with someone."

"Are you kidding? I go off on my own all the time."

"Don't you think I know that?! But at least you messaged you'd be breaking curfew!"

"Why do you even care, Leo?! I seem to remember you telling me to just run off like the coward I was!"

"We all say things we don't mean when we're angry." He said quietly before whispering, "You scared me this time Raph." Deep blue eyes looked up into mine. "I thought you weren't…"

"I'll always come back Leo, and…" I calmly put a hand on my older brother's shoulder, "I said some things I didn't mean too. Don't sweat it. I'm fine. Though I could use an ice pack."

His eyes widened. The others had remained silent throughout all of this, even Mikey which was surprising, but Donnie shot up and was at my side in the blink of an eye. "Are you injured?"

"Oh please don't tell me you got in over your head." Leo groaned.

"Hey, don't even go there, Fearless, I had everything under control."

"Yes of course and obviously you were topside when you weren't supposed to be…again."

"You're no fun, Leo. And you have no way of proving that I was topside."

Leo gave me an unamused 'are you kidding me' look. "Of course, meathead, you can't get injuries like those in the sewers."

"That a challenge, Fearless?"

Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "No."

"Raphael." I tensed and turned towards my Sensei. "You went to the surface despite my warnings. And worst of all you went alone. You could have been attacked, or worse. Raphael you must learn to be more cautious. There are some things you just aren't ready for, failing to accept that will risk not only your lives but the lives of your brothers as well."

"Hai, Sensei I understand and I'm sorry." My brothers' eyes widened as did Sensei's.

"You seem…calm, my son."

"Hai Sensei, and I have something important to tell you guys." He looked at me before nodding slowly for me to proceed. "The Foot are smuggling ancient Japanese artifacts into the country."

Leo's eyes widened, then quickly narrowed. "You were spying on the Foot? ALONE? Raphael are you insane?! You-you—you could have been k-killed!"

"It was only a dozen Foot Robots," I corrected before preening, "Didn't even break a sweat."

"My sons," they turned to their father, "I must meditate on what I have heard."

The four turtles nodded and watched him retreat to the dojo and his room. Mikey approached me from behind and started poking my head. I growled a warning, which he, of course, ignored. "So, Raphie, why are you so calm?"

I smiled, a rare genuine smile and my brothers seemed slightly surprised. Not only by the smile but also by the way I pushed Michelangelo away without smacking him. I stood up and headed for my room, and my bed. Sleep was starting to sound good right about now. I looked back at them and smirked, "I don't know Mikey, maybe it's just my day."

* * *

The red-masked turtle went straight to his room, he didn't turn around again, which is unfortunate. For if he had, he would have seen a look of epiphany and a smile spreading across his little brother's freckled face.


	2. Taking a turn for the worst

**Well, this is not how I had envisioned this chapter as turning out, but that just makes things more interesting! Review please!**

**-Leah by Michelangelo**

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**Ch.2-Taking a turn for the worst**

I leaped from rooftop to rooftop with little to no effort, and even though my body was focused on my training, my mind was, well…elsewhere. My brothers stopped on the next roof and I was once again in the here and now. As soon as I landed Leonardo turned to address me, his shoulders tense.

"What is with you Raph? You're slowing us down."

"I don't know. Maybe I just don't feel like jumping roofs is doing anything for me tonight."

My older brother stared. _He's not buying it._ "Raphael, maybe you should head back to the lair."

"What?!"

The deep blue eyes flashed in warning. _No way he's giving up this time._ "It's obvious you're distracted and you're slowing us down. Look, whatever it is that's bothering you go home and sort it out. We'll handle patrol on our own tonight."

I said nothing, but glared sourly at him.

"If you don't I'll tell Master Splinter. I can guarantee you'll get at least a hundred extra flips in the morning and you'll have to go home. So, Raph? Your choice."

_My choice? What choice do I have?_ I growled and jumped off the rooftop into the nearest alley. As I left I vaguely heard my brother say something that sounded like, "I thought so."

Two more turns and I'd be at the nearest manhole cover. As I made the second turn and approached it, my mind went back to the girl I met yesterday. I still can't believe she wasn't afraid of me. Half of me was convinced she'd been lying, but the other… I stared down at the manhole cover in front of me for a long time, completely at war with myself.

It was ten minutes to eleven. _Should I go home? Or should I…?_

I turned away, heading straight for Eleventh and Bleaker. Under normal circumstances, I'd be traveling by rooftop, but to tonight I was an enemy in my own territory, after all the rooftops were currently my brothers' domain and I can't afford to get caught.

It was almost five minutes after by the time I reached the apartment window. I knocked quietly with the back of my hand and within seconds the window opened. I tensed and concealed myself in the shadows of the fire escape, just in case. The girl I met last night—Midori-poked her head out the window. "Who's there?" She whispered.

"It's me."

The human girl's eyes widened and she stared as I slowly emerged from the shadows. "Well what are you waiting for, muscle head, get in here!"

I stared at her for a moment before approaching the window cautiously. Midori backed away and motioned for me to come in. A giant mutant turtle appears outside her bedroom window and she just decides to invite him in, yep, _that's completely normal. _I thought dryly. _This girl is weird. _I ducked in and closed the window behind me.

I took a quick glance around the room, not too much furniture, just the essentials but not so empty that it screamed of order and cleanliness. There were a couple posters on the wall of various concert tours and bands, some of them the same ones I had in my room. I took a look at the bookshelf and grinned, practically all mushy romance novels, but one shelf was all comics._ Mikey would be so jealous of the collection she's got._ I thought with a smirk.

Midori took a seat on the floor with her legs crossed and she pulled a large folder from under her bed. She opened the folder and slowly spread its contents out so that I could see them I sat down beside her and looked some them over.

There was so much data. It was almost like a case file from the police department in one of those cop shows. She had manifests, photographs, historical articles, the backgrounds of the smuggled items, everything. Everything except rock hard evidence. Midori had all the elements except one. She had no clear proof that the Foot Clan itself was responsible.

"How long have you been looking into this?" I turned to her, intrigued.

"Almost six months, this is all the data that I've managed to compile. Here." She handed me a flashdrive. "That contains a map of all the docks that have received smuggled antiques, each smuggling corresponds with a night of increased Foot Activity. There's been word going round on the streets that some really valuable artifact is being smuggled in three days from now at the docks." I put the flashdrive in a pocket of my belt for safekeeping, planning to give it to Don later.

"How do you know all stuff?"

"I've been spying on the Purple Dragons. They're wimps, but they do get around."

"So do you." I said, my green eyes narrowed, "Why're you doing all this?"

"I told you. They killed my father."

"It's more than that, though isn't it?" I glared at her.

"And what if there is?" She retorted, frowning right back at me. That was the first time I noticed her eyes. Wow, were they beautiful. They were a fascinating shade of golden brown, a color almost sweeter than honey.

"How can I trust you're telling me the truth if you won't even tell me why you're doing this?"

Midori glared, "Fine. It was almost seventeen years ago, when my mom was still pregnant. My father was part of the Foot Gang."

My eyes widened with surprise.

"But as soon as he realized what Shredder was up to, he was quickly disillusioned. Shredder ordered my father to execute a man who'd been labeled an 'enemy' of the Foot. My father…refused. Oroku Saki had him tortured and beheaded the next morning. Saki threatened my mother and forced her into his service. After I was born, he told my mother that he would spare my life only if she swore to serve the Foot Clan. As soon as I was old enough, I too was forced into Shredder's service, but I was defiant, unruly. I quickly became one of the best kunoichi in their ranks in Japan, second only to Shredder's daughter, Karai. Finally, after ten long years of indentured servitude my mother and I were finally able to escape. We left the country and headed straight to America, to New York. Shredder will pay. For everything. I swear it." Her golden eyes glinted dangerously, reflecting the dim light coming from the bedside table. "My mother and I escaped to this country to start a new life. Six months ago the Foot appeared in New York." She stated, her tone filled with emotion. "They're hunting us down and when they find us-"

The sound of glass shattering in the next room made both of us tense. Midori stared with alarm at the door before bolting out and turning, presumable heading for her mother's room. A devastated scream made my heart drop to my stomach. Screw it! I ran out and into the hallway, looking in the room next door. My eyes widened. There was a woman lying on the ground, her body limp, pale and lifeless. Water and glass shards littered the floor around the broken and beaten form.

Midori rushed over to her side and kneeled, tears cascading down her face. "Mother…no." Her bangs fell in her face and all I could see were the tears running down her face. I went over, careful to avoid stepping on any glass. My chest tightened in pain as I paid respects to a woman I never known, but from what I had heard deserved the highest level of respect. No one really escapes the Shredder. I looked up at Midori, and down at her mother's still form. They look just like each other. As I stared at her deceased form I made Midori's mother a pledge:

_I'll watch over her. I'll protect her. I promise._


	3. Waiting Game

**Please forgive some of the grammar in this. Whenever I write from Mikey's POV I tend to write things in his own unique grammatical manner as well. This was not a planned chapter, but what the heck! I couldn't resist.**

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**Ch. 3-The Waiting Game**

About five minutes had passed since Leo sent Raph home. Raph's been acting really weird lately, I just hope that my big bro's okay. And by acting weird, I mean like really out of the ordinary. Like this morning. He was sitting on the floor with his back to the couch and his armed crossed behind his head…seriously that is such a strange position, but back to the point, I lay down on the couch and started poking his head. But here comes the creepy part. Instead of growling and swatting my hand away like he usually does, he just sat there without reacting at all. Eventually I got tired and gave up. Later this morning I told Leo about it, but he said that Raph was probably just doing his best to ignore me so I'd leave him alone.

I don't believe that for a minute. I know my brothers and I know their dos and don'ts. Raphael would never **not** react to me trying to annoy him.

It just isn't him.

Now this latest development seals it. Something's up with Raph. I'm sure of it.

Anyway, Donnie, Leo and I were still on patrol, so I wouldn't be able to worm my red-masked brother's secret out of him until after we were finished.

"Michelangelo." I looked up at Leo, who stood in front of me with his arms crossed over his plastron. "Get it in gear, Mikey, we can't afford to be two turtles short tonight." I nodded.

Still I wonder…._No. Later, Michelangelo, later._

* * *

Thankfully tonight's patrol was quiet, nothing unusual. "Come on guys, let's head home."

I heard a 'whoop' from my little brother and I smiled. The three of us jumped into the sewers, Michelangelo first, Donnie second, and I followed, closing the manhole cover behind me. We arrived home at twelve thirty exactly. Sensei came out of the dojo to greet us and I went over to him.

"Sensei, is Raph in his room? I want to talk to him. He's probably still mad at me for sending him home."

Master Splinter's eyebrows furrowed. "My son, Raphael has not returned."

I pushed down the panic that had risen in my chest and ran to Raph's room. _Empty._ I glanced around. The bed hadn't been slept in and some of Raph's most prized possessions were still here. The only things missing were his sai, a couple of ninja stars and some smoke bombs from his small weapons cabinet. Just the things he'd taken on patrol with him_. Raph, never came home. Oh, Raphael, how do you always manage to get yourself into trouble?!_ I turned to see Sensei standing at the door.

"Sensei, what do we do? I told Raph to come home almost two hours ago! Who knows where he could have gone!"

Master Splinter approached and put a hand on my shoulder. "Leonardo, may I ask the reason behind your sending Raphael home early?"

"Hai, Sensei. Raph was…well-he seemed worried or upset. He kept staring off into space and slowing us down. If we had gotten into a fight with anyone I'm not sure he would have been able to fight, he was just so…inattentive. It just wasn't like him. I told him to go home and sort himself out. But it would seem that he once again disobeyed my orders." I couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into my tone with those last few words. I was annoyed, partly at myself for sending Raph off by himself and partly at Raph for disobeying my orders. But mostly I was just worried about my red-clad brother's well-being.

"Hmm. I suggest that the three of you get some rest, you have training in the morning."

"But Sensei, Raph was really upset if he was attacked…" The youngest turtle's baby blue eyes sparkled and Master Splinter couldn't help but pull him into his arms for comfort.

"Donatello have you tried calling Raphael on his T-Phone?"

"Hai, Sensei, but I'm getting no answer. I tried to locate him on the geographic locator, but the signal's being jammed somehow."

"Mm. That is disconcerting. Unfortunately my sons, until we find out where Raphael is we can make no move to assist him."

* * *

My sons and I had been waiting until almost four o'clock in the morning. It was highly improbable that Raphael would try coming home in the dawn or daylight, so I told my sons to get some rest. I too, had noticed Raphael's strange behavior over the past few days, and was deeply concerned. My red-masked son was often naïve and hot-headed but he was also extremely sensitive and something had obviously been perturbing him of late. In my younger days, I too was rather hot-headed and impetuous, and therefore I understand my son a lot better than his brothers. That is part of a father's duty to his children after all. Given the current circumstances, I would guess that he just needed some time to think things through and get past whatever it was that was bothering him. But even so, Raphael would never have been gone for this long.

It was almost noon. I had canceled the turtle's training for today. They were far too agitated by the lack of their brother's presence. I, too, was greatly affected by Raphael's absence. It just seemed so unusual, not having the hot-headed turtle storming through lair after his little brother shouting threats at the top of his lungs or hearing the soft pounding as he beat away at his punching bag. I suspect that Michelangelo is feeling his absence the most, after all the two of them spend a lot of time together and even thought Raphael tries to conceal it is obvious how fond he is of his little brother.

Five o'clock in the afternoon. Raphael still hadn't returned. I watched as my eldest son as he sat in the main room. Perhaps I was wrong about Michelangelo feeling Raphael's absence… The blue-masked turtle was staring blankly at the television. His Space Heroes program was on, but I sense that my son wasn't listening to a word of it. Leonardo… I wanted to say something, but I couldn't bring myself to disturb him. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Get some rest, Leonardo. You aren't helping yourself by refusing rest, my son."

"But Sensei, Raph's out there somewhere…"

"I know my son and that is precisely why I refuse to let you up to the surface until we have some clue as to his location. I may have already lost one son. I refuse to lose any more."

Leonardo nodded and returned his blank stare to the screen.

It was almost nine o'clock. The three turtles were gathered around the television, watching the program that was on with little interest. I sat on the couch. I have been spending as much time as possible with my sons, just so that they know I am always here to comfort them, should they need it.

It had been almost eleven hours since they had last seen their brother. They have never been separated from one of their own so long before, and it was difficult to say the least. A soft shuffle of feet at the lair entrance made us turn around.

_Raphael!_

"Raph!" The three of them yelled simultaneously, rushing over to his side.

I stared carefully at Raphael's face. He was stiff-lipped, his skin a little pale, as though he'd had a shock. He wasn't injured, but…the turtle seemed…extremely upset, even worse than before. My second son glanced up at his brothers, his shoulders hunched and his head bowed, before he pushed them aside and made his way past, dragging his feet. I caught his shoulder and turned him back towards me. "Raphael…"

"Please, Sensei. I know you want to punish me…but I just-I can't. Not now. I-I—" I watched as small tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. His brothers gasped in shock.

"I'm sorry Raphael, but I need an explanation." I stated rather sternly._ If Raphael is upset I need to get him to tell me now._

"Raph please—" Leonardo began, putting a hand on Raphael's other shoulder.

"The-the Foot t-they…" his voice caught in his throat.

"They what my son?"

"They killed someone…and I-I couldn't—I couldn't stop it. She died. She died and I couldn't save her. I was too late. I-I just don't understand. What use are our skills if we can't even save those who need saving?!" I pulled my second child into a hug to ease his slightly shaking and rather distraught form. I was very concerned, but I concealed it. Raphael had never shown such concern for anyone other than his brothers, though it only goes to follow that he would apply that same level of concern to those whom he is trying to save. This is probably the first time someone has died practically in front of his eyes, obviously he is taking it harder than I would have expected.

* * *

What Master Splinter couldn't have known was that part of the red-masked turtle's guilt had been created by his feelings towards a girl by the name of Midori Yamamoto, whose mother was murdered by the Foot Clan. Raphael felt that he should have done better. He should have reacted sooner and maybe he would have been able to save her…But no matter how many times the turtle wished he could have changed things, they wouldn't change. Now he just threw himself into his father's arms and let go of all his inhibitions. Desperation, fear, pain, and loss freely wracked his frame.

* * *

**Review Please! Thanks! **

**Leah by Michelangelo**


	4. Midori's Vendetta

**Review please! **

**-Leah by Michelangelo**

* * *

**Ch. 4-Midori's Vendetta**

Leo and I exchanged worried glances. Raphael was staring at the television with a blank expression on his face. He wasn't fooling anyone. All three of us knew that he was still distraught.

Last night the red-masked turtle had come home in an incredibly emotional state. Master Splinter had taken Raphael to his room and comforted him as best he could. My brothers and I stayed by the door for hours, filled with concern until Sensei finally emerged and told us Raph had fallen asleep. We didn't have the heart to wake him for early morning training the next day. He slept well past four in the afternoon, obviously exhausted. But that's not why we were worried. No, it was because our hot-headed brother hasn't said a word since.

It was nearing time for patrol and Raph was still staring off into space. I contemplated his thoughtful expression for a moment, before I made up my mind. I got up and approached him cautiously before plopping myself down beside him.

"Hey Raph."

The red-clad turtle turned his head towards me, his eyes never leaving the screen. He grunted to let me know he was listening and I paused before continuing. It wasn't much, but at least it was a response.

"What are you thinking about?"

Dull green orbs glanced up at me. "Nothing."

My eyes narrowed slightly as I put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to hide from us, Raph. We all know you feel things too. We don't like seeing you like this."

"I know Don. I just-I need some time to get sorted out okay? This is…I've never had to deal with anything like this before and I-OH screw this!" He jumped, up throwing his hands up in frustration before heading for the lair entrance.

Leo stepped in his way. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?!"

"What's it look like, Fearless?!"

The eldest's expression darkened. "Raphael, you were gone for almost eight hours, practically worrying us to death, and you came home an emotional wreck! If you think we're letting you out of here just like that, you're sorely mistaken!"

My immediate older brother sighed dramatically and his shoulders drooped. To my very great surprise my normally hot-headed brother reached out and put a hand on Leo's shoulder, his green eyes staring straight into the other's dark blue ones. "Look, I can't believe I'm doing this…I need some time-alone. I gotta get out of here, Leo. I can't take it anymore. I need to talk to Casey, get this thing off my chest."

"You could always talk to us." The blue-masked turtle whispered.

"No, I really can't Leo. It's too hard—trying to get you to understand me-it's like talking to a wall. Leonardo, please."

I watched as all of Leo's resistance melted away with those final words. I must confess that I would have done the same. I'd never seen my hot-headed brother so desperate, and I'd wager by the expression on his face that Leo hasn't either.

Leonardo stepped aside and Raph gave him a grateful smile before heading past. A forest green hand caught an emerald green shoulder and Raphael paused.

"If you find any trouble, call us immediately, understood?"

The younger nodded before turning away and running out of the lair.

* * *

I took deep breaths feeling the cool crisp night air filling my lungs and for the first time in quite a while, I grinned. I still can't believe I actually begged Lame-o-nardo to let me out. I was just as shocked when he let me go. As I jumped from rooftop to rooftop my mind flew back to the events of two nights ago.

Midori's face was wet with tears as she bent over her mother's body. I beat back the tears that threatened to escape the corners of my eyes as I pulled her up by the elbow. She fell against me, her head pressed to my plastron. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, trying to steady her. One three fingered hand tilted her chin upwards so that her eyes were staring directly into mine.

"Is there somewhere you can go? Anyone? Family? Friends?" She shook her head, though whether it was in denial or refusal I wasn't certain.

"I won't leave her."

I grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her, not-so-gently. "Midori, look at me! Whoever did this could still be around or better yet be waiting for a chance to kill you too. I know I never met her, but I'm guessing your mother would have wanted you to stay safe, not sit here waiting for your own demise!" Midori stared for a moment, before nodding slightly. I used the back of my hand to wipe away her tears. "Then get your things. It isn't safe here." Another nod.

The teenage girl returned to her room and I followed. Midori pulled a large duffle bag from under the bed and stuffed the file into it. The bag itself was already pre-packed and I raised an eye-ridge at her. "She believed in being prepared. So do I." She said, answering my question, her head lowered in sadness.

"Is there somewhere I can take you? Somewhere you'll be safe?"

"Yes, my uncle lives off of Ninth and Baker."

"Alright, then let's go."

We made our to our destination slowly and I carried the bag for her as we walked. She turned to me and gave me a grateful smile. "Thank you. For all you've done for me."

"Hey you were the one who volunteered to help me. If it weren't for me…maybe none of this would've happened."

"It's not your fault, Raph. The end result would have been the same, no matter what had happened between us."

I glanced up at her with amazement. First she wasn't afraid of me, and now she doesn't even blame me? What kind of human is she? "Do ya…would you mind telling me what she was like?"

Midori gave me a sad, tearful smile. "Not at all, actually, it'll be nice to tell someone."

We sat side by side on a rooftop and she began. "My mother was born in Japan in the year of the dragon. She gave me this." Midori gestured to the one sen coin attached to the chain around her neck. "She was high-spirited and beautiful, but boy could she pack a punch." I smiled and she smiled back slightly. "Anyway, the village she grew up in was still rather quaint. All their people were taught in the ways of ninjitsu. Then one day, the Shredder split away from the rest of the clan. My father went along with them, willingly following Saki. Only too late did he realize his mistake. The Shredder's enemy was brought before his army to be executed. You see, this man and my mother, Hikari, had been raised together. They were closer than siblings and my father knew that killing the man who had been like a brother to him would be an eternal black mark on his honor. So instead of executing him, my father helped the man escape. My mother never married again. She told me that my father's final act had shown her that she would never find a finer man." Midori paused and I looked at her.

The tears had ceased and she sat straight and proud, her silhouette framed by the moonlight radiating from behind her. _She's so strong, going through all of this and still being able to look fondly on old memories…I've never met a more perplexing individual. She's amazing_. "Whatever happened to this enemy of the Shredder's?" I asked curiously.

"We never found out. Just before he was killed my father told my mother he was headed to America. When we finally escaped all those years later, we headed straight for the big apple, hoping to find him. Unfortunately it seems he vanished without a trace."

"That would be a very ninja thing to do."

"Yeah I guess." She shrugged. "But there has to have been some reason for the Foot's appearance in the city and my mother and I were hardly important enough to make them fly all the way from Japan just to kill us off."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. I can't tell her anything about it or I could get her even deeper in trouble with the Foot. Besides telling her that my family was the reason the Foot came here in the first place probably isn't such a good idea, after all, she's upset enough as it is.

We sat there for hours just talking, she told me all about her Mother, Father, and their conflict with the Foot. I looked up. The stars had faded and the sky was getting lighter, oh no. I checked my T-phone. Five o'clock already?! Oh man, they're gonna kill me.

Midori stared at me, rather alarmed and I realized I'd said that last sentence aloud. "Who? Are you in danger?"

"Nah, nothing like that. It's just I'm not supposed to go around in the daytime, for…obvious reasons and family worries when I break curfew. I better get going." She clung to me, obviously not wanting to be left alone right now.

I took her the rest of the way to her uncle's and saw her safely inside before I headed straight for the warehouse district. There was an old abandoned factory there that Casey and I had often contemplated using as a hideout. I settled myself in there and waited until night fall. Once I was certain I was alone the dam of emotions that had been forming inside of me finally burst and I collapsed with devastation, frustration and guilt. I had felt so helpless. Not being able to do anything to save Midori's mother, to help her with the pain. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't help it. I broke down.

* * *

I had lied when I told Leo I was going to see Casey. He wasn't who I wanted to talk to right now, who I _needed_ to talk to right now. I jumped onto a fire escape behind the building that I'd dropped Midori off at night before last. I peered in the window and saw her delicate form stretched out on the bed, her off-black hair covering her face. I knocked quietly on the glass and she looked up slowly. When she saw it was me, she jumped up and rushed to the window.

"Raph!" she exclaimed pulling my arm towards the window. "Come in! I have something important to tell you!"

"I don't think I should…"

"Don't worry, my uncle's not home, he's at work. He works for a shipping firm that transports Japanese antiques to the U.S. that's how I found out about the Foot's smuggling operations."

I bent over and went through the window. The room was expensively furnished, obviously her uncle was well-to-do.

"Raph." I stared at her. "You know how I told you that the Foot were planning to smuggle a shipment in through the docks tomorrow night?" I nodded. "Well I just redid the calculations and confirmed it! We have to go after them!"

"What? No!" I said sternly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can defend yourself, but it takes a lot more than fists to win these kinds of fights. You just let me take care of it. I'll make them pay. Don't you doubt that for a second."

* * *

I stared into Raph's bright green eyes and I knew he would keep his word. I could also see that his mind wasn't about to be changed anytime soon. "Fine." I agreed, my eyes narrowed.

"Alright, stay here, stay safe. I'll be back tomorrow night to tell you how it went. Here take this." He handed me a small slip of paper before heading out the way he came.

I stared at it. "What is it?" I asked as he was about to jump off the fire escape.

"My phone number." He answered before vanishing in a puff of smoke…again. _Show off._ I thought with a sad smile.

_Sorry Raph. I will have my revenge. And no one is going to stop me. Not even you. _


	5. Brothers

**Sorry it took so long guys! I spent quite a while on this one! Enjoy!**

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**Ch. 5-Brothers**

I glanced up as Raph swept swiftly into the lair. Donnie and I exchanged nervous glances. The hot-headed turtle seemed no better than when he'd left and that worried us. _Would our brother ever be able to recover from what happened?_

As though he could feel our nervous stares Raphael whipped around and glared at us. "What are you two staring at?"

"You." I answered. I knew it would annoy him, but Raph needs to understand that we worry about him. _It's just what brothers do._ _Or at least, it's what we've always done_.

Imagine my surprise when instead of an angry retort, Raph threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, do whatever you want. I got more important things to do. Don, catch." Raph tossed something small and shiny over to my purple masked brother and he caught it, seemingly stunned. Donatello examined it and I moved towards him to get a closer look. It was a flash drive.

"What's on it?" I asked Raphael.

He shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure myself, that's why I gave it to Donnie." Raph smirked, "Besides, I figured he wouldn't want me going within a foot of his laptop."

Our younger brother went over to his computer and plugged in the flash drive. Raphael and I peered over his shoulders as he opened the files.

One of the first was a map of the city with red dots situated on nearly all the docks and piers in the area along with a list of corresponding dates. Donatello raised an eye-ridge. "Well, Raph, I'm not quite sure what to make of this. For all we know this could be a record of fruit shipments."

I glanced at my immediate younger brother as his eyes narrowed. "But it isn't." He stated, his eyes examining each individual point on the map.

Don glanced up at him quizzically. "Really, then what do you think it is?" the brainiac asked slightly annoyed.

"Each point corresponds to the smuggled Foot Shipments and where they've been brought into the country. If my intel is correct their next shipment should be coming in…here." One emerald green finger pointed at the docks where we'd fought the Shredder a couple of months ago. Donnie and I stared at our tough brother with shock written all over our faces. My jaw dropped. _How did Raph…?_

I closed my mouth and my eyes narrowed. I was about to speak when Michelangelo ran into the room. "Raph! You're back! Hey I wanted to…" Mikey's voice faded away. I knew he could sense the tension growing between us as he remained silent and watched. His baby blue eyes filled with fear, worry and a little bit of sadness.

I looked back at my red-clad brother. "Raph." Those piercing green eyes of his met mine and my stomach clenched. I'd seen that look in Raph's eyes before. Every time he lost his cool, and every time his temper flared. These were not the eyes of my brother, they were the eyes of a wild animal. I steeled myself and placed a hand on my younger brother's shoulder. "You can't keep going off on your own like this. You'll only end up getting yourself hurt. Please Raph."

The stocky emerald green turtle turned away and muttered, "You can't stop me."

"I'm not trying to." He looked back at me in wonder. I glanced at Donnie, and he nodded. "Raphael, we want to help you. No one deserves to be killed by the Foot. They crossed the line this time, and the four of us will make certain they regret it. We'll see this through to the end Raph."

Raph grinned sadly, a real grin, not the tell-tale smirk he was known for. "Thanks, Fearless."

"You're welcome, little brother." I said, punching him playfully in the shoulder. Raph grimaced. He hates it when I call him 'little brother.' I smiled.

Our brothers smiled at Raph's expression. But then Donnie turned back to the computer and began opening some of the other files. A frown slowly spread across the brainiac's face and I went back over to him. Raph and Mikey followed my gaze and did the same. The writing on the screen made no sense whatsoever and the three of us exchanged confused glances.

"What is it D?" Mikey was the first to ask.

Donatello answered without turning around. "These are over a hundred files on this flash drive, and two-thirds of them contain top secret tactical, financial and geographical information on the Foot." He stated, sounding slightly stunned. The three of us turned towards Raphael, our eyes narrowed. "How did you get all this stuff, Raph?" Donnie asked.

"Let's just say I found someone who hates the Foot almost as much as we do…Maybe even more." Our temperamental brother walked away, obviously unwilling to say anything more on the subject.

I followed him down the hall to his room and went in after him. Surprisingly, he made no move to stop me. "You said that the Foot are going to receive their next shipment of smuggled goods from that particular dock?"

"Yeah." He replied without looking up at me.

"When?"

"Tomorrow night."

"And you're going to fight them?" He looked up at me with a smirk that practically screamed, 'do you even have to ask that?'

"Then we're going with you." I stated evenly.

Finally, the bright green eyes looked up at last, with a hint of sadness and resentment that made me feel guilty. "I can't ask you to do that, Leo."

"No, Raphael, we're your brothers. I'm speaking for Donnie and Mikey too when I say that we'd never let you do something like this on your own. You just…you have to get it through your head that we aren't letting you face this by yourself. We're going to help you, Raph. We may not always understand you, but you don't need to feel alone. We're here. We always will be." Silence filled the room and I turned to leave, when a barely audible whisper caught my ear.

"You don't know that." My heart dropped to my stomach and I turned to stare at my younger brother in horror. Raphael lay on his bed with his carapace to the room as he faced the wall. I ran to his side and put a hand on his shoulder, tugging at it gently. The emerald green turtle rolled over slightly to face me.

They say that eyes are the windows of the soul. Raph's eyes were no exception and I saw something in them that night that I had not seen in a very long time. Fear. "Raph…"

"Leo…I—I'd do anything for you guys. You know that. I just don't want to drag you any deeper into this thing than I already have. It's only going to get more dangerous from here, and I don't want any of you getting hurt because of me."

"But we don't want to see you hurt either. If you went out by yourself and got injured, I'd never forgive myself." The green-eyed turtle looked up at me with surprise and I could feel my heart clench in pain. _How could he be so surprised to learn that I care about him?_ _Have we really neglected him so severely that he feels completely estranged?_ I could feel tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

I thought back to when we were little, images of my younger brothers filling my head...

* * *

It was two days before our seventh mutation day and the four of us were really looking forward to it. Raphael and I had started to quarrel quite often. His rambunctiousness often clashed with my cool controlling nature and our fights were steadily growing more and more intense. Sensei was worried that we would end up destroying our friendship and he did his best to keep us at bay. So that day while Donatello and Michelangelo got to stay in the lair and play, Raph and I were being sent off to find a lamp to replace one that we had accidentally knocked over and broken during one of our scuffles the day before.

The two of us walked side by side down the tunnels in silence…until-"This is all your fault."

I glared at him. "My fault how is it my fault?! You were the one who ran into the table!"

"You were the one who pushed me!" he yelled angrily.

"You started it!" We were so busy arguing that neither of us had noticed that the water in the tunnel was rapidly rising.

His green eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah I forgot, everything's always my FAULT!" He growled. "You never blame Donnie or Mikey, oh no, it's always me! It always has to be me, huh Leo? Why don't you ever pick on them for a change?"

"Because I don't have to," I felt anger sweeping through me and I added, "They're better than you." I growled out bitterly.

"I hate you." He said, his green eyes practically on fire.

"I hate you too." I replied with equal venom.

Suddenly there was a deep groaning noise in the tunnels and the two of us glanced around wide-eyed.

"Leo, the water!" We both looked down and realized that the water level was rising. Raphael's eyes searched the tunnel frantically, before seeing the access ladder leading up to a manhole. "Look up there!"

I looked where Raph was pointing. "We can't reach!" I said worriedly as the water just about reached our waistline.

"Get on my shoulders!" My younger brother yelled.

"What?" I asked, not really understanding what Raph meant. My younger brother bent down and motioned for me to get on his carapace. I placed my feet on his shoulders and reached up for the ladder, but I still couldn't reach. The water was almost at Raph's chest. "Raph! I can't do it! It's too high!"

"Jump, Leo! Jump!"

I jumped and grabbed onto the bottom rung of the ladder. I pulled myself up and turned back to Raph who was almost chest-deep in water. I reached down for him, his hand reaching out for mine. Suddenly a huge rush of water swept through the pipe and Raphael was pulled under, my hand missing his by inches.

"RAPH!" I screamed as my younger brother was swept away. The current tried to take me with it but I clung to the ladder with everything I had, tears running down my face as I thought about Raph.

Almost fifteen minutes went by before the water went down, but to me it felt like hours. As soon as the water level returned to normal I jumped down and landed on my feet. Fear filled my heart as I called out, "Raphael!" _ael–ael-ael_ the tunnel echoed mockingly. I ran down the tunnel, searching frantically for my brother. "Raph!" I looked from side to side, trying to figure out where the water could have taken him.

I turned a corner and my pace slowed before coming to a complete stop. I stared in horror at the sight before me. A huge pile of debris. My brother's hand stuck out from under it and I rushed over, pulling the debris off him one by one. I no longer cared about anything else. The only thing that matter was getting Raphael out. As I pulled off the last pieces of wood and rock off my brother I gasped. Tears ran down my face as I beheld my brother's battered and bloody form. Raph…

I kneeled by his side and took his hand in mine, gently. "Raph?" I asked and got no reply. My eyes filled with even more tears. "Raph, please wake up. Raph?" Terror chilled me to the bone as I remembered what I'd told him. "I don't hate you, Raphie." I squeaked, my voice pitifully weak. "I love you little brother, I didn't mean what I said, please wake up. Please." I whimpered, pressing my forehead against his cold brow.

"Leo." A small raspy voice whispered and I looked down at him with joy, but when I saw the pain in his eyes it evaporated almost instantly.

"Raph! I didn't mean what I said! I don't hate you, I'll never hate you. I love you, Raphie!"

"I know, 'eo. I didn't mean what I said either. Ah-" He grimaced in pain. "It hurts, 'eo." He whimpered, sounding unbelievably small.

I squeezed his hand tightly, "I know, you're so brave Raphie."

"Gotta…get help, Leo. Get Father."

"I will, I promise. You're going to be okay, Raph. You're going to be okay."

"Please Leo, it hurts." He sounded so desperate. I didn't want to leave him, but even if he did hear my cries for help, Sensei may never find us. I have to get help…but I can't leave him. What am I going to do?! I cried even harder, and the tears ran down my face and fell onto his. _But maybe as soon as he heard the water go through, Sensei would come looking for us to make sure we were alright. Well it's worth a try. _

"SENSEI! DADDY, PLEASE HELP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Father appeared in the tunnel and ran to my side. He gasped. "Raphael!"

"Sensei the water-Raphael—" I couldn't bring myself to go on as I watched my father rush to my little brother's side. Sensei picked him up.

Raph whimpered in pain, and his green eyes opened just a tiny bit, their usually neon green irises a strange and opaque greenish white. "Father…"

"Shh, my son. Do not speak. You need to stay awake, do you understand?"

"Yes, D-daddy." Sensei ran back to the lair and I struggled to keep up with him.

As soon as we entered, Mikey and Donnie looked up, their eyes filled with fear. Mikey rushed to my side. "Leo, what happened?!"

"Donatello, get the bandages and disinfectant. Michelangelo: a pillow and towels. Leonardo: wet washcloth."

I went over to where Father had set Raphael on the couch and handed him the washcloth. He cleaned the blood off of Raph's plastron, arms, and legs. And proceeded to examine his arm with a worried look on his face. I watched as he popped my brother's arm back into place, and felt the urge the throw up. Raph tensed in pain, but other than that made no other noise. Donatello returned with the disinfectant and Sensei began cleaning out a deep cut on Raph's left cheek. The injured turtle hissed. Father took the pillow from Michelangelo and put it under Raph's head.

I looked at my two youngest brothers, who both seemed incredibly worried. I pulled both of them into a reassuring hug. "Don't worry, he'll be okay." I said soothingly, hoping it was the truth.

When he had finished Sensei turned to the three of us, as though he had just realized we had been there the whole time. "Your brother will be fine. But it will take him a while to recover from his injuries."

I nodded, feeling guilty. This was all my fault. I was supposed to protect him! Not the other way around! _I won't let you get hurt again, Raphael. I swear it._

* * *

It was a promise made to be broken. I wonder, have I been breaking my own promise to my younger brother? _I must be._ _Why else would he be surprised to hear that I care about him?_

"Leo, you okay?" I looked up to find that Raphael was now standing directly in front of me with a quizzical look on his face. I wasted no time in pulling my immediate younger brother into a fond embrace. The emerald green turtle stiffened and pulled away gently.

My eyes locked on his shoulder, or more specifically the small lightening-shaped scar. _How I loath it._ That scar was an eternal reminder, a concrete representation of my failure.

An emerald green hand covered it and I looked up at Raph. "It's not your fault, Leo. This scar, it's part of who I am. I've always been the protector, big brother. I always will be. Staying strong is more important than being understood. I'm the only one who can handle that, just like you're the only one who can handle being the leader. That's all you really need to understand."

"Raph…"

"I appreciate your concern, Leo, I really do. And if you want to come with me tomorrow night, I won't stop you. But I won't ask you to."

"I'm going with you, Raphael. Even if Donnie and Mikey decide otherwise. I just want to help."

"I know." He said, his eyes filled with understanding, and smiled. I smiled back. I could see that he was looking forward to tomorrow night. I knew now there was no need to worry about him. Raphael was going to be just fine.

But that doesn't mean we'll stop worrying about him. _After all, it's just what brother's do._

**Review Please!**


	6. Jade

**About the image change: I was really conflicted, but eventually I decided it would be easier for you to envision if I made a rough sketch. So I did. But I also didn't want to put it out there until I introduced Jade in the story, so I decided to wait it out. Sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to allow for a lot of extra surprises next chapter!**

**Thanks so much everyone!—Leah by Michelangelo**

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**Ch. 6-Jade**

My brothers and I arrived at the docks at eight o'clock the next evening. Donatello had gone through Midori's files with a toothcomb and as far as he could ascertain the smuggled shipment was some kind of ancient weapon. I didn't have to look up to know that Leonardo had been watching me the entire way here, obviously worrying about how I was holding up.

I thought back to Midori. I have to do this, for her and her mother if for nothing else. At least I know she's at her uncle's, where she'll be safe. As soon as all of this is over I'll go and tell her how it went. I looked up at my brothers.

We can't afford to fail. And we won't. _Not if I have anything to say about it._

* * *

It was eight o'clock. I stared down at the black duffle bag that lay open on my bed. I had made a few changes to my kunoichi uniform since I'd last worn it. I had found the material myself, it was light and incredibly durable yet at the same time it was strong and had an almost rubbery feel to it.

I pulled on the long-sleeved top it ended right on my neckline. The helmet was constructed of two pieces: a lower and an upper, and is made of a much harder material like a motorcycle helmet, though slightly lighter. I put the lower on first. The bottom of the helmet goes right under my chin, up over my ears and around the back of my head. Where it reached the neckline there was fabric, like that which the shirt was made of. I fastened the three hooks at the back of the fabric to keep it snug and firm. I pulled the shirt's neckline over it before attaching the dark red shoulder piece.

Next I pulled up the long, rubbery dark red gloves that came to a point over the elbow. The bottom of the glove was a softer, more flexible cotton fabric and was fingerless to allow me maximum dexterity. I slipped on the tight black bottoms and then the light black shoes with soft soles that made no sound. I clicked the belt around my waist, its triangular jade pendant gleaming softly in the dim light of my room. I fastened the dark red garter around my right thigh and I attached to it my short dagger and sheath. To my belt I attached my mother's tachi, several kunai, and some shuriken. I sat on the bed so that I could pull on my leg guards. All things considered…next time I should put these on before my shoes. I put the coin necklace my mother gave me on and I stared in the mirror.

I let down my hair from its normal up-do slowly and watched it fall about my face. I pinned the front pieces back using bobby pins and lastly I grabbed my dark red helmet off the bed. The black glass visor would allow me to see out and no one else to see in, so that I may maintain some aspect of anonymity. I pulled the top piece of my helmet on and latched it onto the bottom piece under my chin. My long off-black hair flowed behind me like a shadow. I was no longer Midori Yamamoto.

Tonight I am Jade.

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	7. Hidden Identity

**Hey guys, Sorry it took longer than I expected. But I'll tell you right now, I'm very fond of this chapter. Starts in leo's POV and ends in Jade's so enjoy! I'd love to know what you think!**

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**Ch. 7–Hidden identity**

I watched my younger brother, Raphael, closely, mostly just reassuring myself that he was indeed ready for all of this. He was agitated, that much was plain to see, but it is always difficult to perceive what thoughts are bouncing about that thick skull of his. I am not speaking bluntly when I say that he has created for himself a mask of toughness so completely impenetrable that there are times even we cannot predict his next move. This was undoubtedly one of those times. I threw a sideways glance at Raph as he looked down at the docks from our vantage point atop a nearby warehouse.

His vibrant green eyes seemed slightly clouded, his face filled with emotion. I perceived anger, hatred, and animosity, all of which I had seen before and which were quite habitual with Raphael. But there was something…different as well. His posture seemed off. His head was bowed instead of lifted with confidence, as was his custom, and his shoulders were slightly slouched. His intense focus on the docks below proved to me that the change in posture was completely unconscious as were the feelings he was currently emoting. I can honestly say that out of all three of my younger brothers, Raphael has always been the hardest for me to read.

Raphael is, in many ways a complete and utter paradox. He is, without a doubt, the most emotional of the four of us, yet at the same time it's extremely difficult to tell what the red-masked ninja is actually feeling. His exterior is tougher than armor, but his insides are mushy to the core. My brothers and I have always known him to be soft-hearted, but the tough-guy exterior he dons often leads us to forget how sensitive he is about some things. Obviously this woman's death was one of things. He still hasn't confided to us the whole of what happened that night, but what we had heard was enough. Chances are Raph would never come clean, even if we asked him. I sighed. Raph hated showing weakness, I understand that, I don't enjoy it much either, but there are times when you have to let go of your pride and move forward. I'm not sure whether or not Raphael truly understands that.

All of a sudden, something changed. Right before my very eyes Raph's shoulders straightened and his neck muscles stiffened with tension as he grit his teeth. The dull haze that had settled over his eyes had vanished and their customary luminesce returned as they narrowed. Green eyes…

I was stunned by just how green Raph's eyes looked tonight. They had always been bright green, but often times they fluctuated. Raphael himself had always hated them. He used to say that they were too bright; that they gave away too much of his emotions. I had never really noticed until now that the intensity of his gaze, the color of his irises themselves, changed with what he was doing. When he was angry they were a vibrant neon, when he was playing with Michelangelo they were soft, yet retained the same intensity. When he was sad they were faded and matte, but when he was happy they were bright and filled with light. This color…this was new. The intensity was that of his custom glare, but the color of the irises was wrong. Right now almost every shade of green imaginable could be found in my younger brother's gaze.

The outer edge of the iris was an intense dark green, the middle various shades of lighter and median greens and finally the inner edge surrounding the pupil was perhaps the brightest shade of neon green that I had ever seen in my life. My own eyes narrowed. I've seen that look on Raphael's face before. It's the look he always gives an enemy when they've hurt his family. Each of us have our own glares reserved specifically for such occasions. _But this is Raph's protective glare._ Obviously he isn't protecting us at this particular moment in time. _So who…_

My thoughts were cut off by the sound of a commotion on the docks below. My gaze shot down to the situation at hand. The Foot had obtained their shipment. One Footbot was carrying what would appear to be a long wooden case, undoubtedly containing the smuggled weapon or weapons. Just as we were about to move a shadowy figure darted into fray, making me pause and motion my brothers to wait. I could tell by their faces that they were just as surprised as I was. I glanced at Raphael, who was glaring down at the emerging conflict. The next thing I knew he readied himself to jump of the building and I grabbed his shoulder. "What are you doing?!"

Raph glared, "Leo, we can't just sit here doing nothing, that guy can't take all of them by himself! If we don't do something he could get hurt!"

"Raph, we don't even know who he is. For all we know he could be an enemy!"

"So we're just going to let a person get killed? Great plan, Leo. Someone has to watch his back. Well…looks like that someone's gonna be me." He jumped down before I could stop him and I sighed with annoyance. _Oh Raph…_

I drew my katanas and jumped down after him, my two younger brothers not far behind.

* * *

As soon as I arrived at the docks I saw the Foot minions, whom I assumed were more robots going through the smuggled loot. One of them pulled out a long wooden case, undoubtedly that was the antique weapon they were going to sell. Without any hesitation I drew the tachi from my belt and had at them, taking out two in one strong strike. I slashed another one in half before casting it down to the ground and going after the robot currently carrying the case. I stabbed one of its optics with a kunai before grabbing the case and trying to push the Foot bot backwards. Unfortunately the robot proved stronger than me and more of them were now encircling me predatorily. Suddenly there was a quiet swish of moving blades and three of them fell to ground in pieces. A couple of thumps from behind me made me turn around to find two more fallen and mangled robots.

I tugged at the crate, trying to free it form the robot's grasp, when all of a sudden the bot directly across from me was stabbed in the head with a sai. _Is this gonna be a regular thing with him?_ I thought dryly as I glanced around for the familiar green form. When the Foot bot fell the crate went with it and I, being distracted, failed to stop it. The top of the crate burst open slightly and I lifted it the rest of the way to find two jitte. I sheathed my tachi and took the ancient weapons into my hands. They were thick and heavy, undoubtedly made of iron judging by their age. I yanked unceremoniously from my thoughts when something lashed out and hit me on the side. I dropped into a defensive form and blocked the attacks as best I could. Everything was blurr as my attacker's weapons met the jitte with a loud clang. A twist of the wrist and one of the jitte fell to the floor with a clatter. I looked up to find a familiar pair of bright green eyes staring straight at me. Raph…

For a split second we stared at each other. And then, belatedly, I realized that he didn't know it was me. Oh crap.

"What do you think yur doin?" the turtle asked. His voice was hard and filled with aggression, so different from the soft and sympathetic tone he'd used that night.

My eyes narrowed behind the helmet's visor. "Settling an old score." I growled out with my voice lower and slightly smoother than normal. It's best if he doesn't know who I am just yet.

"Don't ya know this kind of stuff is dangerous?"

I smiled, though he couldn't see it. "Maybe that's why I like it."

He stiffened. "Life is valuable. Ya should treat it that way."

"There is no life for me as long as the Foot exist." I answered without hesitation, making his eyes narrow.

Raph gripped the jitte he had taken from me tightly in his right hand. He did a light spin, examining it. "You sure this isn't what you were after?" he asked expectantly.

I shook my head, about to say something when the sound of moving parts made us both look up to find at least thirty more Foot Robots staring down from the crates above us. I gripped the jitte tightly in my hand as they jumped down at us. I stabbed on straight through the head, and within moments Raphael and I were standing back to back. He threw one of his sai over my shoulder into the head of a robot, clutching the jitte in much the same manner as I was. A robot came at him with a sword and we both turned, the turtle catching the sword expertly with the ancient iron rod. We circled back to back, turning just enough so that Raph could grab his sai from the head of the now inactive robot.

"Mind giving me a name?" he asked over his shoulder before tuning in on the battle. Raphael downed the next few bots with ease and I, in turn, did the same. After he had finished Raph turned to me and started to ask again when I saw a robot coming at him over his shoulder. Without even consciously choosing to react I flung the jitte at it as hard as I could. It whizzed through the air directly over Raph's shoulder and straight between the Foot bot's eyes.

"Call me Jade." I stated.

The turtle stared at the jitte, then back at me, his eyes wide with shock. I too wore a similar expression though my reptilian friend had no way of knowing that. Raph shook it out and pulled the jitte from the robot head before turning back towards me. "Not bad. Thanks."

"Don't mention it." I replied, still slightly stunned. I realized too late that my disguised voice had slipped and I could see a brief flicker of confusion on the turtle's face, almost as though he recognized me.

He approached slowly and I tensed. Finally when we were standing about a foot apart he held out the jitte. "You know, you're not half bad with this." He motioned to the jitte. "Keep practicing." The red-masked turtle said with a smirk.

I took it and smiled. "Thanks."

More Foot Robots jumped down around us, and we dropped into a ready position when…whoosh!

Tons of shuriken flew out from the shadows and one by one the Foot bots fell. I glanced around in confusion, trying to figure out what had happened. All of a sudden I managed to make out two large figures in the shadows. Raph shifted nervously before muttering, "I have to go." He threw down a smoke bomb and was gone.

Raph's abrupt exit made me worry that the shadowy figures were after him for some reason or another and I hoped that he would be okay. I immediately searched the shadows but found nothing. A glint of light made me look down at one of the fallen Foot, whose body was embedded with shuriken. _Is that a symbol?_ I pulled one of them out and gasped in disbelief. No it couldn't be… I was completely at a loss. I remained standing there for a few moments, in shock.

I lifted my head and took to the rooftops, determination and purpose in my step. I have to find those shadowed figures. I just have to. I have to find out who they are. They'll help me. I know they will.

After all, as my mother told me all those years ago: _You can always count on Hamato Yoshi._

* * *

**_Review Please!_**


	8. Colors

**Hey guys! I've been really busy, but I promise that I will try to update this story at least once a week!**

**This chapter took me a really long time for the simpler reason that is **_**really long**_**! The color's correspond with the turtle's bandanas, which will tell you whose POV it is, and Midori is of course green, so anyway… **

**This is the longest chapter I have ever written, but I am very happy with it! Enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for all your kind support! **

**Leah by Michelangelo**

* * *

**Ch. 8-Colors**

**Blue**

Raph had jumped straight into the fray, completely ignoring my orders, as usual. I signaled Donnie and Mikey to flank either side of the Foot bots and stick to the shadows. They nodded. I saw Raphael chuck one of his sai straight into a Foot's head, making the crate in its arms fall noisily to the ground.

Turns out it was a pair of old jitte. I was intrigued. _Of course there is money to be made in smuggling ancient Japanese artifacts but what is there to gain from shipping old weapons that would only be placed into display cases?_ You would think the Foot would choose something more worthwhile.

Mikey and Don were about to emerge from the shadows to help Raphael confront the vigilante, who upon closer inspection was actually a girl. I motioned my two youngest brothers to desist and they nodded, though I could tell Michelangelo was nervous about letting Raph fight this new vigilante all by himself. I too was concerned, but I concealed it masterfully.

Raph attacked her, and she dropped into a defensive stance. He used his sai to disarm and seize one of the jitte. I expected him to continue the assault, but instead he stopped and for a moment the two of them just stared at each other.

Donatello and Michelangelo moved over next to me and the three of us watched from the shadows. Mikey turned towards me and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, nodding his head towards our brother and the vigilante. I rolled my eyes, forcibly fighting the urge to slap him.

Raphael gripped the jitte tightly before giving it a gentle twirl. "You're sure this isn't what you're after?" he asked.

Before she could answer Foot bots appeared and ambushed them. Michelangelo almost rushed in to help them, but I put out an arm and blocked him. "No. Let's see how they do on their own first. She's already seen one of us, no need to bring her in any deeper unless we absolutely have to."

Both of them frowned but made no other movement.

* * *

**Orange**

My older bros and I watched as Raphael jumped in headfirst and started kicking some serious Foot butt. The box turned out to contain two jitte which, of course pulled up old memories from our childhood…

Raphael had always been rather skilled with the jitte. _Then again, it is kinda similar to the sai_. (Not to mention Master Splinter himself had taught Raph the basics of the jitte before he even laid his hands on the Sais.)

I remember how annoyed Raph was that all of us had already been using our weapons for weeks and he hadn't even touched the ones Sensei had told him were going to be his. But once he got them, all that extra work learning defense with the jitte really paid off. Raphael won almost every sparring match, making a certain blue-banded turtle, whose weapons were incredibly susceptible to both the sai and jitte, extremely jealous. Of course that only made Leo work even harder to improve his swordsmanship, which in turn made Raph up his game, resulting in a strong sibling rivalry.

My mind came back to the here-and-now and I realized that Raph was about to fight this strange masked girl by himself. My eyes narrowed and I was just about to step in and help my bro when Leo put an arm out in front of me. I stared at him inquisitively and he motioned for us to stay in the shadows. I couldn't help the slight nervousness that entered me as I watched Raphael hit her in the side.

We'd never seen this girl before, and for all we know she could be dangerous, _really dangerous_. _It's not that I don't think Raph can handle it, quite the opposite, I just worry that's all. _Of all my bros Raph is unquestionably the most reckless. But if there is one brother I'd always be willing to turn to in a tight spot, its Raph. My hot-headed bro would do anything for me, and when we're in battle, whenever I turn around, Raphael will always be there, watching my back. _It's just the kind of brother he is: always watching out for me. _

As much as I don't like how rude he is about everything, I'd much rather go to him than any of my other brothers because Raph was the strongest, and sometimes, to borrow a phrase from my childhood: He's the only one who can chase the monsters away. For that reason, I've always been extremely watchful of Raph, just to make sure he doesn't get in over his head, or lose all of his control. _I feel like I owe him that much, at least. _

The female vigilante dropped into a defensive pose and my eyes narrowed. _I don't like the looks of this._ Raph managed to hook the prong of his sai just beneath the prong of the jitte and with one strong twist, the ancient weapon was freed from her grasp. He took the ancient iron weapon into his hands and looked over it appraisingly before turning his gaze back to her. I took a short moment to glance at my brothers, but both of them were staring intently at the unfolding situation. I turned back to the confrontation at hand.

Raph and the girl circled each other briefly, he looked her up and down, before all movement ceased and they stared intently at one another. I stared at my older brother's green eyes and saw a look I didn't quite recognize. It was very different from anything I'd seen on his face before yet there was a somewhat familiar feeling about it. _Where have I seen that look before? Of course! That's the face D always makes just before he starts making goo-goo eyes at April!—_

_Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold the phone! Raph…likes a girl?! Ah hahahahaha! That has got to be the funniest thing I ever…! Hahaha! It's too much! _My face filled with mirth and I had to put a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. I elbowed Leo, who slowly looked over at me. I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and pointed to Raph and the girl. My big bro rolled his eyes with annoyance and I could tell he really wanted to face-palm. I just grinned happily. _Raph is interested in a girl! Aw this is gonna make such great blackmail material!_

The smile was wiped off my face when at least thirty Foot Bots jumped down and surrounded our brother and the vigilante. Donnie and I were about to jump in when, again, Leonardo told us to hang back.

_I really don't like this. We can't stay hidden forever, and the longer we do the higher the chances of Raph getting hurt._ I watched, with surprise, as the red-masked turtle and the black-clad vigilante fought back to back, their moves almost in tandem. I was astounded by how well they worked together for a first meeting…_or is it a first meeting?_ A light bulb went on in my head at that thought. All sorts of possibilities bounced around in my brain and I was slack-jawed. _Could it be that __**that's**__ where Raph's been sneaking off to all this time?!_ My eyes must be the size of dinner plates. _Of course!_ _The reason why Raph's been so adamant about getting out is because he has a girlfriend topside! That totally makes sense!_

_How could I have missed this for so long?_ The longer I watched them interact the more I was convinced that my assumptions were correct. _Raphael has a girlfriend and this…is her._ _Wait a minute, what is she_—**NO!**

All three of us tensed as we saw her throw a jitte straight at our brother. Leo, Donnie and I held our breath as time seemed to slow, the iron weapon barreling right over our brother's shoulder and straight into a Foot bot's head. We exchanged nervous glances before looking back at Raphael, who had a shocked look on his face.

The hot-head recovered almost instantly and grinned. I had to strain my ninja hearing skills to make out what he murmured next, "Not bad, thanks." _Raph saying thanks?! Just like that?!_ My eyes bugged out of my head in shock.

"Don't mention it." Came the quiet reply.

My bros and I watched Raph approach her and hand back the jitte with a smile on his face. Leo and Don both looked confused, but not me. _Nope._ I had all of this figured out. _Yep that's right! Me, the one they call the dumb one! Well who's the dumb one now, huh?! Hahaha, Raph is so into her! Just look at the way he smiles at her! _

Then, right when things were about to get interesting, more Foot bots jumped down from above. We looked at Leonardo and he gestured: 'Fan out' and 'shuriken.' Donnie and I nodded, each of us throwing as many shuriken as we could at the Foot bots from the shadows, taking care to ensure that none of them went too close to our brother or the girl. Once all the Foot had been defeated, Raph looked nervously towards the shadows, where he knew we were concealed. He muttered something unintelligible to the girl before throwing down a smoke bomb and the four of us headed for the nearest rooftop to make our escape.

* * *

**Purple**

We darted swiftly and silently across the rooftops. Raph and Leo ran side by side up in front while Michelangelo and I followed a few yards behind them. Just when I was about to question him, Leonardo beat me to it. "So, what's with the girl?"

"How should I know? Never seen her before." My hot-headed brother stated tersely, his eyes narrowed. The way he and the girl fought together made me think otherwise, but I could tell from his tone that Raphael, for once, was being completely forthright.

"You fought well together." Leo looked at Raph expectantly, but received no reply. Ever since that woman was killed by the Foot, our brother has been uncharacteristically silent. To say we've been concerned would be a severe understatement. "Who is she?"

"Calls herself Jade." My eldest brother raised an eye-ridge and Raph continued, "Obviously she fancies herself a vigilante."

"Then let's hope she'll quit before she gets hurt." I could hear the hint of regret and guilt in Leonardo's voice and I knew that his thoughts had been drawn back to Karai. _Poor Leo, he still feels responsible for what happened to her…_

"Doubt it." Raph's rough voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I was once again enthralled by my older brothers' rather casual conversation. Leo glanced at Raphael questioningly, "Trust me, I know the type. She isn't going to stop until she gets what she wants."

"And what exactly does she want?" I cut in, noting the fact that Raph tensed as he realized that Leo wasn't the only one listening to this conversation.

Bright green eyes turned back towards me slightly as he spoke, his voice low and guarded, "Revenge."

Leonardo snorted in disapproval and Raphael gave a mild grunt of agreement.

Indeed, revenge is always a dangerous game, especially since there are so many variables that could go wrong. _We should know. Kar-er-Miw—our sister-was lost because she wouldn't accept that revenge would only lead to more problems. We still don't know where she is…_but back to the situation at hand. If this Jade person does attempt to get revenge on the Foot, she could end up being in way over her head. Unfortunately our job means that we have to protect people, even from their greatest enemies: themselves. _But we'll take care of her later. Right now we just need to get home and report to Master Splinter. _

I glanced at my immediate older brother who was currently running directly in front of me. When we were about two blocks from April's Raphael suddenly screeched to a halt. My blue-clad brother looked back at him curiously. "What is it Raph?"

Raph's eyes narrowed and glowed. "Casey."

"What about him?" I asked, not bothering to conceal the disdain that seeped into my tone.

"He's going on patrol later tonight…"

"No." Leonardo cut him off. "Sorry, Raph, but I'm gonna have to put my foot down. We've all had enough action for one night."

"I wasn't talking about going with him." We all stared at him confused, "I'm just gonna run by and tell him to keep an eye out for this Jade character, just in case she decides to get herself into any more trouble tonight. I'll meet you back at the lair in half an hour. Promise."

Deep blue eyes narrowed as my eldest brother considered it. Finally he sighed, "Fine." And with that Raphael was gone.

Michelangelo cackled evilly and I gave him a questioning look. He just smiled. I huffed with annoyance, "Mikey would you stop smiling, it's getting creepy."

My younger brother completely ignored me and rushed on a mile a minute, "Aw come on, you mean you two don't see it?"

Leo raised an eye-ridge. "See what, exactly?" The question was slow and cautious, obviously he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.

Mikey rolled his eyes, "Seriously? I'm the only one who's figured out where Raph's been going?"

My brown eyes slid over to meet my older brother's dark blue ones. We both turned our full focus back to Michelangelo, who had a very disturbing, all-knowing smile on his face.

"Raphie's been keeping secrets from us, bros." We nodded, prompting him to continue. "I mean it's obvious once you think about it," again he paused. _He's doing that on purpose._ I realized and my eyes narrowed. I bonked my younger brother on the head with my fist lightly and he continued. "Ow! Hey watch it! Anyway it's obvious that Raph's been sneaking off to meet someone, right? But what if that someone isn't Casey? What if he's actually been having secret meetings with…a girl!" Mikey finished.

I gave Michelangelo a dry stare. "Really? That's what you came up with?"

"Aw, come on Donnie! Raph's been acting weird: staring off into space, getting distracted on patrol, it has to be a girl, dude! It's the only possible explanation!"

"No Mikey, it is one theory in a number of interchangeable explanations. For all we know he could just be blowing off steam, hanging out with Casey, or, or—"

"See! We have no idea what he could _really _be doing, so who's to say it couldn't be a girl?"

I face-palmed, "Because it just isn't!" I was so frustratedly flustered that I started stammering slightly, "I-I mean, R-raph with a girl? Never in a million years."

* * *

**Red**

I jumped into the fray before Fearless could get a word in edgewise. _That guy needed help, and I wasn't about to stand around and do nothin! _I descended upon one of the Foot bots and pulled it down, stabbing it repeatedly before looking back up at the vigilante. He was—wait a minute—make that _**she**_ was doing well. She slashed through several robots with her tachi, before zoning in on the Foot minion holding the weapon case. The Foot robot was putting up a pretty good fight and I belatedly noticed that my brothers had taken care of the rest of them.

Without further ado, I threw a sai straight into the head of the Foot holding the case and it fell, bursting open. The female vigilante removed two ancient jitte. _Man, it's been years since I used those things!_ I pushed those thoughts aside and with a growl I leapt and kicked her in the side. I internally noted that I had only one of my sai, and that the other one was still stuck in the fallen Foot bot's head, so I proceeded with extreme caution. She dropped into a defensive position and it was plain to see that she was no stranger to violence. _Or ninjitsu for that matter._

As I attacked I took note of her clothing: tight black pants, a wide belt, black top, red chest and calve guards, black shoes with dark red laces, dark red helmet with black pin striping and elbow-length red fingerless gloves. _Huh. It's surprising that she leaves her midriff completely bare, then again, Karai's armor was much the same: silver plating on her chest, shoulders, arms and legs, but none really in the middle, probably to allow maximum flexibility._ She wasn't dressed like the Foot, at least. That, plus the fact that she's fighting them means she probably isn't one of them. _But as Master Splinter always says: the kunoichi, like the ninja, is a master of deception, and her disguises are often times more clever and misleading than those of her male counterpart. Therefore, beware the kunoichi's power of deception, or she will catch you off guard._

_Well she isn't catching me off-guard._ My sais hit the jitte in her hands with a loud clang. I hooked the prong of my sai under the prong of one of the jitte before I twisted my wrist and the ancient iron weapon fell from her hand. I took the jitte into my free hand and spun it, gauging its weight and bearing so that I could wield it as effectively as possible.

A dark black visor met my bright green eyes and I glared. "What do you think yur doin?"

"Settling an old score."

_Great, another nut out for revenge! And I thought Karai's attempt was stupid!_ _What this girl's doing is practically suicide!_ "Don't ya know this kind of stuff is dangerous?" I growled at her.

"Maybe that's why I like it." I didn't have to see her face to know she was smiling as she said that.

My fists clenched and I had to fight the urge to start yelling at her. "Life is valuable. Ya should treat it that way." I growled darkly.

"There is no life for me as long as the Foot exist." I tried to come up with a retort, but I couldn't bring myself to contradict her reasoning. My mind flew briefly to Midori, but I shook it off.

I gripped the jitte I took from her in my right hand. I spun it a second time and glanced over it. It was obviously ancient. The iron was thick and heavy, but the weapon itself was strong and well-preserved, I could probably fight with it, though it wouldn't be able to take too much abuse. I looked up at her and raised an eye-ridge, "You sure this isn't what you were after?" I waved the jitte for emphasis.

She shook her head. I frowned in thought. The next thing I knew, a clicking noise made me look up. Foot Bots were all around us and I stepped towards her, my protective instincts taking over. The robots surrounded us and we stood back to back. Leery as I was about having a complete stranger watch my back, right now destroying the Foot bots was more important. I used the jitte in my right hand to deflect enemy attacks and the sai in my left to decommission them. We turned as the enemy attacks came from all sides.

I flung one of my sai into the head of a Foot bot over her shoulder, and another one came at me with a sword. I used the jitte to catch the sword. I turned and reached over so that I could yank my sai out of the fallen Foot's head. I looked over my shoulder at the girl, who was currently beating the crap out of the Foot. "Mind giving me a name?"

I saw her fling the jitte straight at me and I stiffened, my eyes widening in shock. My ears rang as the weapon whistled as it cut through the air, flying right over my shoulder and straight into a Foot's head.

"Call me Jade." She replied.

I stared wide-eyed between the jitte and the girl before a smirk spread across my face. I pulled the old iron weapon from the Foot's head. "Not bad. Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Jade whispered. My bright green eyes snapped up to the lithe figure in front of me. _That voice…_

I approached her slowly and she tensed. _If she is who I think she is it would explain why Jade didn't seem surprised by my appearance..._ I stopped about a foot away from her and offered her the jitte. The one I had been wielding was tucked safely away in my belt, but _I'll give her that one later_. I could feel myself releasing tension, calming down. There's only one person who's ever been able to do that. _Midori._ "You know, you're not half bad with this." I motioned to the jitte, "Keep practicing."

"Thanks." Jade replied.

I felt elated when I heard a hint of a smile in her voice. Suddenly more of those pesky Foot bots dropped in on us and I was about to give them what-for when shuriken came flying out from all directions. I tensed as I realized that my brothers had witnessed our entire exchange and for a moment I was afraid they would try attacking Jade. My older brother appeared in the shadows directly behind her and motioned to me using hand signals: 'Time to go.'

I nodded and muttered that I had to go before throwing down a smoke bomb, yanking my other sai from the dismembered Foot bot's head on my way out. On the rooftops I turned back to get just one last look at her and my eye-ridges shot up in confusion. _What is she…?_

Jade bent down and pulled a shuriken out of a Foot robot. _What in the world?_ She turned it over and saw the symbol. I watched as she tensed, staring at it in shock for a moment, before pocketing it and running off at high speed. _I wonder why…wait a second…I wonder…no, it couldn't be…_

I was completely buried in my thoughts as my brothers and I made our way home. Leo and I ran in front while Don and Mikey followed close behind. Fearless edged closer to me and I looked him in the eyes, knowing he was about to ask me something and begging him to get it over with. "So, what's with the girl?"

"How should I know? Never seen her before." I snapped, the words sounding much more bitter and resentful than I had intended_. It wasn't completely a lie, after all, I had never seen Jade before…_

Leonardo must have noticed because he backed off a little. "You fought well together." My older brother leveled a stare that basically meant he expected me to comment. So I deliberately ignored him. "Who is she?" He asked, slightly perturbed.

"Calls herself Jade." The leader raised an eye-ridge at that and I continued, "Obviously she fancies herself a vigilante."

"Then let's hope she'll quit before she gets hurt." I ignored the tinge of regret in his voice.

I snorted and he sent me a sideways glance. "Doubt it." I said. "Trust me, I know the type. She isn't going to stop until she gets what she wants."

"And what exactly does she want?" Donatello asked, and for the second time today I was reminded that there were other people listening in on my conversations, besides just my addresser.

"Revenge." I answered. I watched a contemplative frown spread across Leonardo's face and my lips bent down into a look of subtle disapproval. _That look on Leo's face was never good. _

We continued on in silence and my thoughts went back to Midori. The way she reacted to our shuriken still puzzled me, but if my suspicions were correct, protecting her was even more important than I had originally thought. _Unfortunately however, the only way I could find out whether or not I'm right is by confronting Midori on the subject._ And the only way to do that is to tell her that I know that Jade and Midori are one in the same. _But…I can't do that._ I want her to tell me herself. And I'm confident that she will. _As soon as she trusts me, that is._ We need to be careful, whatever we do. My brothers are already getting suspicious.

There has to be a way to get Leo to let me go… _I've got it._

My feet ground to a halt in the middle of an old warehouse rooftop. Lame-o-nardo turned and gave me a strange look. "What is it Raph?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Casey."

"What about him?" Donnie asked, and I turned to address all three of my brothers.

"He's going on patrol later tonight…" I began, but Fearless leader cut me off before I could finish and I growled quietly.

"No. Sorry, Raph, but I'm gonna have to put my foot down. We've all had enough action for one night."

I rolled my eyes at them and sighed dramatically. "I wasn't talking about going with him. I'm just gonna run by and tell him to keep an eye out for this Jade character, just in case she decides to get herself into any more trouble tonight. I'll meet you back at the lair in half an hour. Promise." I held up my right hand as though making a solemn confession.

Deep blue eyes narrowed as my older brother considered it. Finally Leo sighed, "Fine."

I didn't even wait to hear the answer. Instead, as soon as I perceived that my brother was about to let me go, I was gone. I knew I was probably going to be berated for it later, but I had promised Midori I would see her tonight. And that was one promise I wasn't about to break. _Unfortunately I couldn't say the same for the one I just made to my brothers. _

I pulled out my T-phone and held down the speed dial. It rang three long times before my human friend answered.

"_Hey Raph!"_ Casey's voice sounded pumped and ready to go and I smiled. _"You comin' up tonight?"_

"Sorry Case, Little Boy Blue thinks I should go home asap." Jones sighed and silence spread over the line for a moment. "Hey, Case?"

He took a moment before responding. _"Yeah?"_

"Could you cover for me? I told Leo I was going over to tell you about a new vigilante roaming the streets. But I really have to see someone and…Look, if Fearless calls just tell him I stayed and talked you for a while, 'kay? He'll buy that. Can you do that?"

"_Sure, anything for my best bud."_ He replied.

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"_Damn straight."_ I smirked at that. We said our goodbyes and I ended the call.

I headed straight for Midori's uncle's place, darting across the rooftops, a shadow in the night.

* * *

**Green**

It was late when I returned to my uncle's house. I slipped into my room through the window and immediately changed out of my costume. I pulled on a button down pajama top and pajama shorts, before going over to sit at the vanity and tie my hair into a mangled bun. There was a quiet knock at the door and I tensed, dropping the hair pin that had been in my hands onto the floor.

"Midori? It's me. Uncle Ryuu, may I come in?"

"Of course uncle."

The door opened, my uncle's large muscular frame practically filling the doorway. He was older than my mother but only by a few years, now in his early fifties. Uncle Ryuu had dark black hair and deep black eyes that glimmered brightly in the dim light of my table lamp. He stepped in and sat slowly on the bed.

"I am sorry that I haven't been here for you more often, little one. Especially after…what happened. I know that you've probably wanted someone around you can go to, and I just wanted to let you know that I am here. If you need anything just let me know alright?" I couldn't help the tears that began sliding down my face as he went on. He looked up when I sniffled with a sad smile. Uncle Ryuu stood and came over, wrapping me tightly in his arms. "Shh, it's all right. I'm here for you, Midori. I just wanted you to know that. I miss her too." At the last sentence his voice cracked and he hugged me desperately, both of us crying softly.

"I-I know uncle. I understand. And I already have to thank you for all you've done for me…"

We pulled apart, slowly. He smiled slightly and wiped his tears away. "Oh, no my dear. It's what anyone would do. Goodnight, niece. Sleep well."

"I will. Goodnight, uncle." I replied softly as he left my room, closing the door behind him. Less than half a second after he had gone, there was a knock on the window. I glanced over to it and saw Raph standing outside. I rushed over and stepped out onto the fire escape beside him. "Raph! This is not a good time! My uncle's home early and if he hears us…"

"I promised you I'd come tonight, so here I am. I have some things to tell you."

I motioned him to proceed up the fire escape and onto the roof. We sat on the edge of the building with our feet dangling off the side. I glanced over at him and him at me. Finally I decided to begin. "So…what did you want to tell me?"

"It went well. They got what was coming to them, and we found out what the weapon was."

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be confused.

"It was a pair of jitte." He answered slowly. His fists clenched and he grit his teeth in pent-up frustration as he glared at me. I glared back unabashedly and he exploded. "What did you think you were doing Midori?! I told you to stay out of it, here, where it's safe!"

"So I could do what? Sit here knowing that I'd sent you into a fight alone?! The Foot are dangerous and I refuse to be responsible for putting someone else's life at risk! Besides, it's my life and I can run it the way I like!" I stood and took a few steps away, stomping my feet angrily.

The turtle was up within seconds and following me, his face filled with anger. "If you think I'm just going to stand by and watch you get yourself killed you've got another thing coming, brat!"

"You don't have to stand by! You can just run off into the night and leave me alone!" I yelled, trying desperately to keep my voice form getting too loud.

He stared at me, his eyes now filled with concern as he approached me, slowly. "You can't keep doing this to yourself Midori. You're tearing yourself apart. Your revenge on the Foot, this vendetta of yours, it's not enough is it?"

My eyes closed slowly and I turned away. "You wouldn't understand." I muttered quietly.

I could feel the turtle tense behind me. And he took three large steps towards me before he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around, roughly. "I understand better than you think." Raph's green eyes beamed, their brilliant light penetrating my very soul. "Saki killed my mother." He growled lowly. My eyes widened in shock, but he went on. "My sister was mutated because she wanted revenge." I stared at my turtle friend and my formerly angry gaze softened slightly. Raph's voice lowered until it was practically only a whisper. "I understand better than anyone, and I'm telling you right now: it isn't worth it." His eyes stared deeply into mine before he turned and ran off the edge of the building, into the night. I followed his shadowy shape as he jumped from one building to the next, my mind racing with the surprising facts I had learned about my reptilian friend.

Little did I know, that behind the door of the roof-top access stairwell, a dark, shadowy figure was grinning evilly.


	9. Raphael: The Enigma

**The first sentence of the chapter should tell you right away, but this is Leo's POV. What can I say? I love writing chapters from the point of view of an overprotective older brother! Thanks for reading guys! I'd love to know what you think!**

**Sincerely, Leah by Michelangelo**

**Ch.9-Raphael: The Enigma**

I was incredibly worried about my younger brother. It had been almost an hour and a half since Raph promised he'd be home in half an hour. I thought about calling Casey, but decided not to because if Raph was with him, and they were talking (which Raph really needs right now) my call might destroy any progress that the dark-haired teenager might have made with my stubborn little brother. I had expected Raph home within an hour of when we parted at most, and every minute past has ticked by slower than molasses.

I walked to one end of the lair and turned, pacing up the main room for what felt like the millionth time. I dryly wondered whether Raphael would ever fail to make me worry. _No, he'll always be a hot-head, and that's not about to change any time soon._ My mind answered and I sighed dramatically.

The sound of footsteps drew my attention towards the lair's entrance. I watched my red-masked brother barge into the room, with the obvious intent of storming off to his room.

_Sorry Raph, not this time._

I stepped in front of him with a glare. His vitriolic gaze literally made me flinch as he growled. "Leonardo, if you know what's good for you, get out of my freaking way!"

"No." I stated as evenly as I could and Raphael looked about ready to stab me with a sai.

The commotion had drawn our family to the main room where we were currently fighting. Donatello poked his head out of the lab and Michelangelo wandered in from the kitchen. Master Splinter peered out through the open doors of the dojo, before closing them slowly, which was basically his way of telling us that he wasn't getting involved, but he wouldn't hesitate to provide intervention if it was needed.

"Don't test me right now Fearless! I've had about as much abuse as I can take!" Raph snapped, his tone harsh.

My eye ridges furrowed and I took a cautious step towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it…" he shied away from my touch and I saw a brief flash of hurt in his eyes. _Who or what could have put this strange alien look in my brother's eyes?_ Frustration began to boil inside of me. _No one gets away with hurting my family!_ Goodness knows my soft-hearted brother is much more sensitive than he lets on.

"Raph…" I started, but he held up a hand, making me stop short.

"Just leave me alone." He pushed past me and I watched him head straight for his room. I frowned and took a seat on the couch before pulling out my t-phone. _Only one thing to do now… _Don and Mikey watched Raph's retreat worriedly before turning back to me.

"Leo, do you think Raphie's okay?" My baby brother asked tone filled with concern.

When I didn't answer verbally both brothers moved in closer to the couch and glanced over my shoulder at the phone. I dialed, intent on finding the answer to Mikey's question. I lifted it up to my ear and waited. I counted the number of rings in my head impatiently. One…two….three…_dammit Casey pick up!_...five…six…seven... Finally I heard the sound of the call being answered; _"Hello?"_ came the human's voice.

"Casey." I answered. Don and Mikey leaned over next to the phone trying to hear what was being said. I sighed, pushing them away with annoyance and put the call on speaker.

"_Oh—Hey Leo!"_ The 'oh' sounded just a little too much like he was expecting the call and that fact alone put me on high alert. _"What can I do for you?"_ Jones asked nonchalantly.

"Casey, Raphael just came home a few minutes ago." I stated.

"_And?"_ The human asked. His tone was enough to tell me that he had no idea as to my brother's current state.

"He was really upset." That shut Casey up and for a few moments the line was completely silent. _Obviously he wasn't prepared for that, _I thought before going on, "You wouldn't know of any reason why, would you?"

The human paused, "Well, I mean…he came over to my place and we talked for a long time, but he left a while ago. Before I went out on the town, ya know? He seemed fine, but if something happened after that, I don't know anything about it." My eyes narrowed. There was something about his voice that I didn't like…_he's lying_, I realized.

I growled lowly, too quietly to be heard over phone. When I spoke my voice was hard, cold and dangerous. "I know you're lying Casey. Now: tell. me. What. Really. happened." I punctuated each word with emphasis, and even I could hear the danger in my voice.

The human swallowed nervously and my brothers shuddered. Jones sighed before he began, resignedly. _"All right, Raph called me about an hour and half ago and asked me to cover for him. He said he needed to see someone."_

My eye-ridges shot up and the three of us exchanged surprised and confused glances. "Did he say who it was?" I asked insistently.

"_No, sorry. That's all I know." _I was about to impress him further, but this time I sensed he was telling the truth.

All of a sudden Raphael came storming back into the room. _Has he been lurking in the hallway this whole time?! _He grabbed the t-phone out of my hand and I was about to protest when he began yelling at the top of his lungs. "CASEY JONES YOU TWIT! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

I wrestled the phone out of my younger brother's hands and spoke into it hurriedly. "Don't worry, Casey, he's just mad. He doesn't mean what he says."

When Casey spoke his voice was calm and mellow, quite the opposite of what I normally expected of the teenager, "Look, Raph, buddy I'm sorry, Leo called the bluff dude, that's it. Don't be a sore loser."

Raph's angry huffs and puffs of breath slowed slightly, but the scowl never left his face. "You don't understand you idiot. You just ruined everything. So long blabber mouth." Raph snatched the phone from me and hung up on Jones before he could even reply.

I stared at him angrily, hand outstretched. He handed my phone back slowly and I put it away before crossing my arms. "Raphael, who have you been meeting?"

Bright green eyes narrowed. "I ain't been meeting with no one!"

"Haven't been meeting with anyone," Donnie murmured, obviously in auto-correct mode. When he realized that he'd just corrected Raph he backed up slightly and put his hands up in surrender, "Sorry."

Raphael glared at our purple-clad brother before his green graze focused back on me. "And it if I was, it ain't none of your damn business." He threw down an arm and shook his head before turning away. Alright, that's it!

I ran around him and stood directly in his path, blatantly ignoring my instincts, which were currently screaming for me to stay calm. "Anything that interferes with the well-being of my brothers is my business!" I yelled, finally losing my patience.

"Well you don't have anything to worry about then." Raph replied, a bitter and sad smile on his face. My stomach turned nervously. I've never seen that look on my immediate younger brother's face before, and I can honestly say that I never want to again. It was sickening and it made my heart clench. "It's over." He stated, his voice snapped me out of my stupor and my frustration evaporated.

I put a gentle hand on his shoulder, bending down so that I could look him in the eyes. "Raphael, what happened?"

"I ran into that vigilante, ya know, 'Jade.' I tried to stop her, tried making her see it the way it is, offered her my help. Let's just say she isn't going to quit any time soon. She refuses to see reason. Guess I should've expected as much. Stupid, stubborn brat!" Raph stated, mild irritation creeping back into his voice.

I stared. "What did she say?" _What on Earth could she have said to him to make him so upset? Not to mention hurt his feelings…_

"It's not important." I could barely conceal my annoyance. _What would I'd take to get Raphael to talk to me?!_ His beak wrinkled in distaste and he scoffed, "Besides, that's the last thing I want to think about right now." An emerald green hand waved it away as though he was clearing the air. "Guess I have to apologize to Case in the morning, huh?"

The corner of my mouth turned up into a small grin. "Yeah, that would be a good idea."

Raph grin slightly back giving me some slight consolation. I'll find out what happened in the morning I told myself, knowing that it was a fickle statement. Raphael probably won't say anything and we'll go on pretending like none of this ever happened. At least my brother's home and he's safe. That's what matters. _But how safe will he be if I can't protect him? _

Raphael has always been an enigma in so many ways, but particularly in that he was very conservative and kept his feelings to himself. If this unruly behavior continues and he isn't careful Raphael will tear himself apart.

_No, he's my brother, he has us, we'll always be here for him, and we'll always be there to piece him back together._ I thought, _No matter what happens._ I added with certainty. _His emotions are stronger than we will ever be able to understand, but his heart is pure. I love all of my brothers, and none of them will ever be left behind. Not on my watch. _

_I'll always be here to protect you, Raphael. Even if you don't want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen. I'll squeeze it out of you if I have to, for your own good, but I will always respect your privacy. You might be able to keep me in the dark about some things, but do not think for a moment that you'll always be able to pull the wool over my eyes. I know you better than you think I do. And I know that you don't feel comfortable discussing things with us. But that doesn't make me blind to your feelings, little brother. _

_The identity of your mystery contact won't be in the dark much longer. I intend to see to that myself. _


	10. Forgive or Forget?

**Sorry this took so long guys, I had to figure out how I wanted this chap to play out. And here it is! Thanks for your support those of you who've been reading and reviewing this fic! Starts in Don's POV. **

* * *

**Ch.10-Forgive or Forget ?**

Raphael is still acting out of sorts. And to be honest, Leonardo's attempts to keep tabs on the red-masked turtle twenty-four –seven aren't helping.

I can't even begin to think of how all this tension is affecting Michelangelo. He's still Mikey of course, but lately his smiles have been…tense, for lack of a better word. I can tell that Raph's change in demeanor is really worrying him.

The four of us thought Raph had been bad before…but, looking back, it seems almost trivial compared to his behavior of late. The silence is extremely haunting. Raphael has always been loud, or at least he used to be. Now it's mind-boggling just how quiet our hotheaded brother can be. Over the past few days my immediate older brother had managed to unintentionally sneak up on me on at least three separate occasions. Which could mean one of two things: 1.) My skills are way out of practice or 2.) Raph's stealth abilities have improved…drastically.

I heard the soft shuffling of feet and a couple of off grunts. I glanced up through the open door of the lab and into the main room just in time to see the tips of red bandana tails.

What is Raph doing up at this hour?

I stepped cautiously out of the lab in time to see my immediate older brother headed straight for the lair door. He was less than ten feet away when I pushed the lab door open with a gently swish. Raph's shoulders tensed and he turned to face me slowly. I crossed my arms over my plastron and gave him a stern stare. "Well?"

"Well what, brainiac?" he retorted angrily.

"I'm not going to bother asking you where you're going. The answer to that is fairly obvious, as we both know. However I am waiting for your explanation."

My older brother bristled. "Well, ya ain't gonna get it."

"Oh I think I will. All I have to do is have patience and wait. After all, you obviously won't be leaving now."

"Oh, yeah and who's going to stop me, genius?" Raphael growled in my face.

"We both know I won't be able to stop you Raph." I stared straight back at him, "But that doesn't mean I won't wake the others as soon as you've gone and send Leo trudging after you."

The red-masked turtle's fists clenched and he snarled. One thing I can say about my hotheaded brother: he knows when he's been beaten. "Damn you Don! I was just going out to blow off some steam."

"You're an idiot if you think I'm going to buy that Raphael." The hothead sighed with frustration and a short silence passed before I spoke again. "You were going to look for that Jade girl weren't you?" I asked quietly.

Raph's bright green eyes narrowed. "No."

"No?"

"No."

"Do you swear it?" My question was met with silence. Ever since we were little, almost all of my confrontations with Raph contained this same question. Strangely enough, every time I asked I was surprised that he met me with honest answers.

"I swear." He stated, all the previous hostility drained from his voice, now replaced by exhaustion. I suspect from the dark rings under his eyes he hasn't been getting much sleep lately. My worry increased and I stepped closer to him, putting a soft, reassuring hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at me softly and when he spoke his voice was hushed. "I'm not sure I ever want to see her again."

I glanced down at him, my eye-ridges furrowed. Raph's behavior lately has really been throwing us off. Not only as a team, but as a family. He's been acting so distant…like right now for example. His green eyes stare off into nothingness and he gets this unreadable expression on his face. It's…disconcerting to say the least. I know that I should keep going: press him further until he tells me the truth. But I just can't bring myself to do it. Something in the hotheaded turtle's confused, melancholy expression made me come up short. I frowned slightly before whispering gently, "Why don't you go to bed, Raph? Get some sleep. We both know you need it. We can talk more about this tomorrow." Despite my last sentence I knew that we would probably never bring up the subject again. That's just the way Raph is. Besides, I'm not too sure pestering my older brother even more is a good idea in the first place.

"Alright Don." He agreed resignedly and I nodded. I watched him head back down the hall to his room and heard the door close behind him before I turned and returned to my lab. I started to close the door and paused for a moment before I left it open. Just in case Raph was stubborn enough to try again, though I think the odds are against it. Then again, my hotheaded brother has defied more odds than anyone else I've ever met, and I doubt he's going to start caring about numbers now. _Oh Raph…What are we going to do with you?_

* * *

**The following morning…(third person POV)**

Dark blue eyes opened slowly, still clouded with sleep. The eldest turtle yawned as he reluctantly rolled out of bed onto his feet. Leonardo put his arms over his head and stretched with a sleepy yawn. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and pulled his mask off the bed-side table, knotting it tightly behind his head. He left the room, closing his door quietly behind him. When Leo reached the kitchen he found the youngest turtle already there making breakfast.

"What's for breakfast?" He asked with a yawn, still a little tired. Yesterday's training had really worn him out…

"Pizza omlettes with anchovies and algae, want some?" Michelangelo replied excitedly.

Leo grimaced and held up a hand, "Thanks, I'll pass. I think I'll just settle for some cereal."

"Sure thing." Mikey replied, skipping happily over to the cabinet and returning with the box of cereal, milk and a bowl. The leader poured the cereal and milk into his bowl. Michelangelo watched his older brother eating for a moment before speaking a quieter, more serious tone, "Ey Leo, you seen Raph?"

Leo looked up curiously, pausing in his chewing to answer, "Not since last night Mikey."

The youngest turtle glanced up at the oldest with fearful eyes, "He's not in his room..."

Deep blue eyes narrowed as he put the spoon back in his bowl, staring at his younger brother apprehensively. "Well where is he then?" Leonardo could already tell he wasn't going to like the answer.

Mikey frowned openly now, his face all seriousness. "If I knew, do you really think I would have asked?"

Leo leaned over and took another bite and the orange-masked turtle saw his older brother's grip on the spoon tighten. Leonardo took a few more bites of his cereal before he pushed away from the counter and headed straight for Don's lab and knocked quietly. The leader waited until he heard a soft 'come in' before pushing the door open and entering in one smooth gesture.

"Hey Donnie is Raph in here? Mikey said he wasn't in his room."

Don looked up from his current project with a frown on his face. "Sorry Leo, Raph's not here." Leonardo turned to leave, but Donatello called him back. Leo looked at the inventor curiously and Donnie spoke up, "Last night I caught him trying to sneak out on his own again." The leader frowned disapprovingly but Don went on, "He said he needed to blow off steam, but I don't think he was telling the truth. He wanted to think about something Leo. Whatever it is that's bothering him, he still hasn't gotten over it yet. I don't know what to do but I advise we tread carefully. Especially you, Leo. Heaven knows Raph loves embroiling you into fights more than the rest of us, and to be honest he really doesn't need the stress of another fight on his shoulders right now. Just…go easy on him, okay? We won't gain anything by frustrating him."

Leonardo nodded and left the lab, heading straight for the dojo. He needed to meditate on the situation with Raphael, and hope that they would be able to find a solution. But as soon as he enetered said room, he was struck dumb by what he saw. The eldest rubbed his eyes disbelievingly and looked again, but the image remained the same.

Raphael was sitting in the center of the dojo. Just…sitting there cross-legged in the middle of the dojo. Without a care in the world. His eyes were tightly closed and a look on his face that spoke of pure concentration.

Fearless cleared his throat and asked the inevitable question, "Raph, what are you doing in here?"

The look of concentration vanished, replaced by the hot green glare the blue-masked turtle knew so well. "What's it look like shell fer brains? I'm training!"

" Looks more like you're meditating." Leo replied.

Raphael closed his eyes again and growled. "I'm trying to, yeah. Only a certain idiot named Lame-o-nardo, is keeping me from doing it!"

"You? Meditating?" The eldest smiled. After a few seconds the grin turned into a hearty chuckle.

Raph's glare returned, "So what? I can focus just as good as you can when I want to."

Leo stopped laughing and addressed his sibling with a smile half playful and half serious, "Yes, but why would you want to?"

Raphael rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe I was kinda hoping it was 'train in the dojo without playing a game of twenty questions with Leo' day." He replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm and displeasure.

"Raph," Leo said sternly, his voice warning Raph not to bite his head off just because he was poking a little fun at him.

He just sighed, "Leo, you mind? I'm training here."

Leo sighed resignedly, "Fine, if that's the way you want it, Raph." A strange weapon in Raph's belt caught his eyes and it took a moment for him to register what it was, " You still have that?!"

Raphael glanced up at him in confusion, "Have what?"

"The jitte!" The eldest exclaimed pointing at it. Raph looked down at it slowly before looking back up at his older brother.

"Yeah I still have it! She got one and I got one! What's it to you?" He asked, not really understanding why Leo was so surprised.

"You should show it to master splinter and Don, it could be important."

"Yeah, tell it to the masses, I'm practicing with it right now."

Leonardo stared at his younger brother as though he'd just grown a second head, "You haven't practiced with jitte in years, and besides you don't need to, the sai are the exact same thing anyway!"

Raphael's eyes narrowed exponentially and he growled, "They aren't the same thing, fearless!"

"They're similar!" the eldest retorted.

"Urgh!"

Leo opened his mouth to continue, but then Donnie's words from earlier came flooding back to him. 'He really doesn't need the stress of another fight on his shoulders right now.' With a sigh Leo let it slide and instead said, "Okay Raph, just don't go overboard with the training okay? And you don't have to show anyone the jitte if you don't want to. Just do what you think is right. I'll see you later." with that the blue-masked turtle left the dojo and it was Raph's turn to stare.

* * *

**Raphael's POV**

_Did that really just happen?_

I rolled my eyes. Whatever. Leo's weird.

After Don caught me on my way out last night I realized that my brothers wouldn't be so easily deterred. Unfortunately they haven't stopped pestering me since the night I came home upset. This morning I woke up early and headed straight for the dojo. Once there, I found myself unable to remember what I had been planning to do in the first place. So I just plopped down in the middle of the room and tried to recall it. However, after about a minute my mind turned to the focus of my thoughts for the past few days…_Midori._

Despite our falling out, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. I had yet to come to a decision on whether or not I wanted to see her again. I found myself constantly pondering the old saying 'forgive and forget', but to be honest right now I'm walking the line between the two.

I stared at the door that Leo had left through before getting up off the floor. I held a sai in one hand, a jitte in the other, and began practicing my katas. I felt the jitte's weight in my hand, learning the motions and the spin of it again after all these years. Though my body was going one by one through the movements of the katas, my mind raced back to the problem I had been pondering all morning.

I'm not sure I should forgive her, _that is see her again_. There is really nothing I need to forgive her for…I mean, she upset me, yes, but I had gotten over that quick enough. What bothers me is that this vengeance of hers is a problem that's not about to go away and I don't really want to be dragged into it. Then again, I don't want her to get hurt because of her own stupidity. But if she insists on putting her life in harm's way how am I supposed to stop her? I can't. That much is plain to see. The only solution would be helping her. And making sure she didn't get hurt of course. _Easier said than done. _

I've already tried forgetting her, and I can see where that's gotten me. So that leaves me with one option. Forgive her, and help her. But how? How can I help her? How can I assist her without dragging my family into it and putting them in danger?

_Of course!_

* * *

**Midori's POV**

It had been almost a month since I'd last seen Raph. Even though I barely knew the strange turtle mutant, I felt even more lost without him. I didn't know what to do. I had fought and decimated at least ten Foot robot patrols over the past few days and I haven't so much as caught sight of my reptilian friend. I was worried. I can only hope that the turtle will forgive me for what I said that day. I was being overly emotional and I had no idea of what he'd been through. It was unfair of me to assume that my life was so painful that not even he could understand.

He's a turtle for goodness sake! He's probably been an outcast all of his life and there I was whining about how my life was a living hell! Sometimes I really hate myself. Poor Raph. His mother and his sister. I wish I could tell him how sorry I am. But if Saki killed his mother, then he probably hates Shredder just as much as I do, and yet he doesn't seek revenge. I don't understand how he can do it. But if Shredder is his enemy, which I'm pretty certain he would be, then maybe he knows who the owners of these ninja stars are. Or more importantly where Hamato Yoshi is… I know that Raph is probably still mad at me, but maybe, just maybe he'll forgive me. But how can I get him to fogive me if I can't even find him?

_Of Course!_

I opened the drawer of my desk and pulled out the small slip of paper with the turtle's number on it. I dialed it and waited. It rang several times before going to voicemail. I frowned and hung up. Does this mean that Raph doesn't want to talk to me? But he doesn't know my number either, so maybe he just didn't want to answer a strange call. Well, at least I can try sending a text message.

My fingers made a quiet tap on the phone's screen as I typed away, _'Hey, Raph. It's me. About what I said in our argument, I made a selfish assumption and I'm sorry._' I paused, unsure of what to say next, _'I can understand if you no longer wish to help me, but I really want to tell you about something. It's really important. Please, meet me on top of my uncle's apartment building at ten o'clock tonight. We need to talk. I hope you can forgive me. –Yamamoto Midori.'_

Send.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

It was half-past nine that night when April and Casey arrived at the lair. The hockey-masked vigilante ran straight to Raphael's room and burst through the door.

"Yo Raph!" he said cheerfully

Raph glared up at him, arms crossed over his plastron. "What are you doing here, gakface?" The red-masked turtle smack talked, obviously still bitter.

Casey remained oblivious and smiled good-naturedly. "What's it matter, hosebrain? I came to see ya."

"More like fearless sent ya to spy on me." Raph muttered.

"Aw come on Raph, lighten up." Jones punched him in the shoulder and he jumped slightly.

"Goddammit why is everyone treating me like something's wrong?"

"Because you're acting like it, Raph! Leo told me you've barely been out of your room and Mikey says you've hardly eaten a bite. You're not acting like yourself, dude. It's scaring them."

"So Leo did send you! I knew it!"

"Oh come on, Raph you really think I'd let Leo boss me around like that?"

"Yes!"

"No I-" the human paused before sighing melodramatically, "Well I guess you're right, but you can't still be mad at me for what happened yesterday."

"Oh no?" Raph snarled.

"Look I had to tell him okay?! He was about to filet me into bite sized pieces the next time he saw me!"

"Fearless?" Raphael snorted, "Yeah right." The turtle grabbed his sais off the bed and rushed out of the room, a confused Casey right on his heels.

"Whoa, where you going, dude?"

"Don't 'dude' me dude. I'm going out." Raphael stated as they arrived in the main room.

"Oh no, Raph." Leo stated, crossing his arms over his plastron. "Not now, it's time for dinner and then we're going out on patrol."

"Come on, Fearless. I've been training all day I want to get out in the field. Giving me a half-hour head start won't hurt."

Leo's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "Alright just be careful."

"As always." Raph replied.

Leonardo stared at him with a frown. "Meet us at the start of the patrol route."

"Sure thing, Fearless." And with that he was gone.

The eldest turtle sighed and Jones stared after his friend with a confused stare. "That was weird."

"Now you know how we've felt for the past month." Donatello stated.

* * *

Raphael landed on the roof of the apartment building at ten o'clock precisely. He was surprised when his gaze fell upon black and red armor instead of Midori's everyday clothing. "I thought Midori wanted to talk to me." He stated, making her turn around and face him.

"She does. And she is. I have a couple of Foot patrol roots to trace later and I thought I'd save myself the pain of getting dressed in a hurry."

He paused. "If Midori wanted to talk to me Jade should have ditched the disguise."

"Why? What difference would it have made? The person underneath it is still the same."

"Thank goodness for that." He answered quietly and she smiled beneath the mask. She realized at that very moment how much she had missed having him around.

"I'm glad that you decided to forgive me."

"I didn't say that." he replied, the smile beneath her mask melting away into a serious and troubled expression. Raphael went on, "I want to help you, but I can't put my family at risk. If they get dragged into this…"

"I understand." She replied. "I would have done the same. You don't have to help if you don't want to."

"No, I-" he paused, trying to find the right words, "I promised you I'd help and I intend to keep the promise."

Her black visor turned towards him, her expression behind the mask one of total awe and admiration. "Thank you." She whispered, her voice full of emotion.

"You're welcome." He replied.

"Don't suppose you'd be willing to accompany me tonight?" She said after a long awkward pause.

"Nope, sorry. I promised my brothers I'd patrol with them tonight." Jade nodded in understanding before she realized something.

"Brothers?" She asked somewhat surprised.

"Long story." The turtle replied, his tone indicating he was unwilling to say anything more on the subject.

"Alrighty then." Midori stated, the red-masked turtle happy that she hadn't tried to press him any further.

"Catch." Raph tossed something at her and she caught it on pure reflex. It was the jitte from that night on the docks. But why? The reptile laughed at her expression and answered, "I figured you might as well have the complete set." He readied his sais and Midori raised an eyebrow behind her helmet. "Well what are you waiting for?"

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm trying to teach you how to use em, kid."

"Oh and you're an expert?" She retorted with a smirk.

Raphael mirrored her expression and circled her slowly, sais still at the ready. "That's right I am. In case you haven't noticed the Sai is a derivative of the jitte. Only difference is they've only got one prong and they're heavier."

"That's two differences dimwit." She replied mock-offendingly and he glared good-naturedly.

"Shut up and listen, best way to learn is to do. Bring it on, brat."

"You asked for it, reptile."

"Just in case you didn't already know: number one use of the prongs: disarm your enemies."

They sparred contentedly for several minutes before calling it quits. Raphael had to admit she was awful quick for a beginner. After a while she'd be really skillful with the jitte, if today's progress was anything to go by. The emerald-skinned turtle checked the time and realized it was time for patrol. "Look, M, I gotta go. My brothers are waiting for me."

"Sure thing. See you tomorrow?" She asked hopefully and the turtle grinned.

"I'll try." He muttered before jumping off the building, leaving Midori alone once again, but now she had a smile on her face.

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**Review Please!**


	11. Hamato Raphael

**For those of you who were confused when Midori knew Hamato Yoshi, all will be revealed...in this chapter! Review please!**

* * *

**Ch. 11-My name…is Hamato Raphael**

That night's patrol proved to be uneventful. Leonardo was not happy when Raphael was late, but at least it was only by a couple of minutes. Following the patrol, Raph had seemed more like his real self and less like the morose and brooding creature they'd been living with the past couple of days. He was a little more at ease tonight, which gave his brothers considerable consolation.

"Man, I can't wait to get home!" Michelangelo exclaimed as they bounded over the rooftops. Raphael laughed and his three other brothers couldn't help but smile, it had been so long since Raph had laughed they'd nearly forgotten what it sounded like.

The red-masked turtle wacked his little brother on the back of the head with a loud FWAP, another action Raph hadn't been taking part in lately. "You goofball!" Raph tackled Mikey into a headlock. "Say it!"

"Aw, Raph…."

"Say it!"

"Okay, okay. Raphael is all wise and powerful…"

"And?"

Mikey giggled, overjoyed that his older brother was acting like his old self again. Leo and Donnie watched with smiles so big that their faces might have cracked._ It's so nice to see Raphael back in such good spirits,_ Leo thought.

When Michelangelo didn't continue Raphael began tickling him which made him laugh even harder. "Raph! Hahahaha! S-Stop it! Sssssstop it! HAHahahaha! Raph! Please! Uncle! Uncle!"

"Not until you say it!" The hothead insisted.

"Aw Raph!" The second-eldest smirked and only moved his hands to tickle his little brother's sides mercilessly. "Hahaha! Alright! Okay!"

"Say it!" Raphael insisted.

"And—hahaha—and he's better, haha, better than me in every-hehe-every possible way."

The eldest smiled as he interjected, "Okay Raph, that's enough. Any more and Mikey's going to explode."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Raph stated, making Donatello snicker.

"Raph." Leo chided lightly.

The red-masked turtle rolled his eyes. "Alright. Geez Fearless, always have to spoil my fun."

"It's what you appreciate most about me." The blue-masked turtle quipped playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, in your dreams Fearless."

Leonardo shook his head with a grin and a sigh. "I'll never understand why you insist on calling me that."

"Because you are." The eldest turtle stared at his younger brother in awe. Raphael… Leonardo was shocked beyond all capability to speak. Raph admires me that much?! He thinks that I'm…but I'm not. I never have been and I never will be.

"Raph—I'm not…"

"You are to me." He whispered quietly.

Mikey and Donnie stared in shocked amazement, their jaws dropped. Michelangelo recovered first and immediately bounded up to his red-clad brother with a smile and a smirk. "What am _I_ to you, Raphie?"

Raph snarled at the hated nickname before he smirked mischievously. "Yur exactly what I call you Mikey. A Goofball."

"Aw." The youngest replied crestfallen.

"Don't sweat it, kid. You'll always be my littlest brother Mikey. Just like Don will always be the brainiac and the genius."

"Aw, but I don't even get a good nickname," he pouted.

Raphael rolled his eyes and Leonardo watched as he moved towards their younger brother. "Mikey, you may not have a great nickname, but I can guarantee that you are and always will be my favorite Goofball."

"Really?" Little happy tears filled the corner of Mikey's baby blue eyes as he stared at his hotheaded brother. His eyes sparkled and glittered with happiness that warmed Raph's heart.

"Yes Mikey."

"Aw! I love you bro!" Mikey exclaimed practically bowling Raphael over as he ran into him, engulfing him into a full on hug.

Leo and Donnie chuckled at the sight. Donnie added, "You do realize he's not going to let go, right?"

"He better." Raph replied, though his tone was unthreatening.

"Come on guys, lets head on home." The eldest stated.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." Raph said, all three of his brothers glancing up hesitantly. "I'll be fine. Go on."

Finally after much deliberation, Leo nodded. When they let Raph leave a little early for patrol he had rejoined them acting like his old self again. Letting him out again would probably help preserve his good mood, refusing to let him out would probably spoil it. "Alright, two hours maximum Raphael, any longer than that and I'll come up and get you. Understood?"

"Yes mom." Raph said rolling his eyes at me as he jumped away.

"Call us if anything happens!" I yelled after him, but he had already gone.

* * *

**Raphael's POV**

I was glad that Leo had decided to let me go. Midori had mentioned that she had some other Foot to beat tonight and I wanted to make sure that she got home alright. For some reason the thought of her being in danger had constantly returned to my mind while we were on patrol and I just couldn't stand it. I landed outside of her window with a very quiet thud. I peered in the window and was surprised to see a big man, probably six four or six five. He was burly and extremely muscular. I may not know who he is but I do know one thing: I definitely don't like the look of him. He appeared to be going through Midori's things and I had to fight the urge to jump in there and attack him. The man reached down to look under the bed and the sleeve of his t-shirt rose just a bit revealing a strange tattoo on his shoulder. That looks like…

All of a sudden Midori entered the room and any thoughts I had previously been engaged with were no longer important as I strained my ear to hear their conversation.

"Uncle Ryuu? What are you doing?" I growled. This creep was her uncle?!

The man turned to her with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Ah! Midori! I was just looking for an old sword I gave your mother. I was hoping that you might have it. It was a family heirloom."

"Oh. I'm sorry uncle, but she never gave it to me. Perhaps you should go through the things at the old apartment. Though it isn't exactly safe there…"

"Ah, but I don't have to worry about such things my dear. We are both quite capable of taking care of ourselves aren't we?" he asked brushing her chin gently with the back of his hand. I don't care if he's her uncle or not, I want him to get away from her. Especially if that tattoo on his arm is what I think it is.

"Yes Uncle."

"Alright then, thanks for your help little one. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Uncle Ryuu."

After the creep had left I tapped gently on the window. Midori looked up and saw me, staring with a slight look of questioning and surprise. She closed the door and opened the window, motioning for me to come inside.

"Raphael what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. You said you were going to take down a couple foot patrols and I just wanted to…"

She smiled sweetly at me, "To make sure I was alright?"

"Yeah, that." I answered.

"Thanks Raph, that's sweet of you." Midori leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. I swear my cheeks must have been as red as my mask.

I ignored my burning cheeks and hurriedly changed the subject. "So that was your uncle?" she nodded and I growled lowly, "I don't like him. He's…suspicious." I stated my arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently.

Midori laughed, "Oh, Raph! Uncle Ryuu is the sweetest man in the world! He'd do anything for me!"

I frowned. "Well if he ever does something weird like this again call me okay? That tattoo on his arm makes me nervous. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before. And it wasn't in a positive context."

"Tattoo? Where? What tattoo?"

"His right shoulder, it's really small. The only reason I even noticed it was because the sleeve of his t-shirt went up a little when he bent over. I was trying to place where I'd seen it before when you walked in."

"I'll ask him about it." She said, taking a seat on the bed, her expression thoughtful. Her honey-colored eyes widened in realization as she remembered something, "Oh! Raph! I've been meaning to ask you!"

I looked up at her with a raised eye-ridge. Midori jumped off to the bed and yanked out her black duffle bag. She opened it hurriedly and began digging through it hurriedly. What in the world is she up to? "Ask me what?" I asked watching with an amused expression as she began throwing the bag's contents all over the room, obviously searching for something.

"Who were those shadows?"

I tensed, not prepared for that question. Does she mean…?

"The ones that threw the shuriken at the Footbots that night at the docks."

Yep she did. But what am I supposed to tell her? If I tell her the truth, Leo will kick my ass. But lie? To her? Strangely I found myself reluctant to do that. But telling her the truth could also drag her deeper into the conflict, and the same thing goes for my brothers. Well, I'm still not going to lie to her.

"M, I'd love to tell you, but please believe me when I say that I can't. If you knew their true identity it could put you in grave danger."

"Please, Raph, I have to know. And if you mean that by knowing their identity I could end up getting dragged into the Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki conflict, trust me when I say that I already am."

All I could do was stare. HOW-? My green eyes narrowed and I tensed, "How much do you know about Hamato Yoshi?" I asked warily.

Midori's eyebrows furrowed at my sudden change in demeanor, which only made me more nervous. I had thought that because she was an enemy of the Foot, she was on our side…but is it possible that now, after all this time, she could turn out to be an enemy? My hands edged towards my sai, shaking. I don't want to do this…I don't want to fight her…

"Raph! What are you doing?!"

"Are you an enemy of the Hamato clan?"

"What?" She stared at me with surprise, her golden eyes shining. "No! No, not at all! My father saved Hamato Yoshi's life. Its Oroku Saki that I'm after."

Now it was my turn to stare. "What do you mean your father saved Hamato Yoshi?"

She sat back down on the bed, giving up the futile search for whatever-it-was. She patted the spot beside her and I paused. Should I trust her? If her father really did save Master Splinter's life…then I can trust her, I want to trust her. But would that be wise? What would Leo do? Leo would sit with her. He's a sucker when it comes to girls. Oh well, if it works for Leo…

I plopped down beside her and she began to explain.

"You remember how I told you that my father saved the life of one of Shredder's enemies?" I nodded. "Well that was Hamato Yoshi."

"You see, my mother, Hikari was raised with Hamato Yoshi and they were like siblings. When my father and mother fell in love, most of the village disapproved because it was a somewhat ill-placed match. But Hamato Yoshi was one of the few who supported their marriage and helped them get started. Then, dark times came and Oroku Saki broke away, claiming that he was going to restore his clan to its former glory. My father and mother lived in the first village that he took control over and my father was one of the many men to swear allegiance to him, thinking it to be nothing more than a family feud. My father, Yamamoto Kenji believed that the conflict would be settled and all would be peaceful again within the month. However, Saki lead an armed raid on Hamato Yoshi's village, killing his wife and taking his child. My father disapproved. And when the man that had been closer to him than a brother, who had welcomed him into the family, despite his low social status and position, Hamato Yoshi was lying before him on the ground, trussed up, arms and legs bound, he could no longer carry out Shredder's orders. Yoshi was ordered dead, and my father was to be the executioner. It was Saki's way of testing his loyalty." I stared up at her in terror. Master Splinter had never told us about any of this!

"Yamamoto Kenji was no longer able to carry out Shredder's wishes. He whispered to Hamato Yoshi, 'When I say run, run.' My father brought down his katana, but instead of dealing a fatal blow, he cut Yoshi's bonds. His last words as he charged the Foot were, 'Run, my Brother! Run!'" She went silent. I was staring at the floor of her room trying to absorb the entirety of what I had just heard. "My mother always called Hamato Yoshi brother, you see. She once told me, when I was younger, that someday the Hamato clan would have to help us avenge my father's life. She told me that all her life, no matter what had happened, or where she was, she could always count on Hamato Yoshi. That's why I have to find him. The time has come to take back what has been taken." Her honey-suckle eyes glinted and sparkled magnificently in the dim, moonlight room.

"You don't need to." I stated, brining my neon green gaze up to meet her golden ones. She raised an eyebrow at me. I said nothing, but stood, heading for the window. I stopped just in front of it and turned back around. "You've got the next best thing." Wow, that didn't sound conceited at all. I fought the urge to face-palm at my stupidity.

Midori rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but I think a ninja master on my side will be more beneficial than a teenage turtle-ninja."

"Ninja turtle, and that isn't what I meant."

She raised an eyebrow again.

"My name…is Hamato Raphael." I jumped out the window over the fire escape and straight down into the alleyway. Leaving Midori staring after me in astonishment.


	12. Partners In CrimeFighting

**Hey guys, sorry if I'm piling on the chapters too quickly, but the inspiration level has just been flying off the charts! I really wanted to add in this bit. Believe it or not this chapter started out as one sentence, and…it grew. Time passes quickly in this chapter and Raph and Midori have been hanging out vigilante-ing together! Review please!**

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**Ch. 12-Partners in Crime…Fighting**

**(Leonardo's POV)**

A few weeks ago when Raphael began acting like his old self again I was foolish enough to think that the storm had passed.

I had no idea how wrong I was.

* * *

**Three weeks earlier, the day after Raph and Midori's last meeting…**(Third Person POV)****

It was a late night patrol, one of their rare nocturnal cycles. The four mutant teenagers crept silently across the rooftops, eyes peeled for any sign of trouble. Fortunately they found none and were about ready to head back to the lair.

Raphael's phone vibrated. It was a text message. The red-masked ninja turtle pulled away from his brothers slightly and opened it.

Hey R, J going to major Foot stomping at the docks in fifteen minutes. Wanna come with? –M

Green eyes glinted and the turtle smirked. Shell Yes! But then he paused and glanced back at his brothers. Nah, they won't mind. They're headed home anyway. With that thought the stocky turtle jumped down into the alley, heading straight for the docks.

But back with the other turtles…

"Hey guys, did you just get a group message from Raph saying he'll be back later?" Donnie asked. The other two turtles nodded. Michelangelo frowned and Leo's eyes narrowed.

"Dudes, he totally ditched us!" The youngest pouted with his arms crossed over his plastron.

"Is there any way you can track him Donnie?"

"Sorry, Leo. Unless Raphael turns on the special tracking signal option I can't pinpoint his location. It's a safety feature. I designed it specifically so that if the Foot ever got a hold of one of our t-phones, they can't use our numbers to track us."

Leonardo's mouth curved downwards. "He better not get himself into any trouble out there."

"It's Raph, Leo. When does he not get himself in trouble?" The youngest asked, earning a smack on the head from Donatello.

"Not helping Mikey!"

"What? It's the truth!" Michelangelo retorted and Don face-palmed.

Leo ignored his bickering brothers and thought through the situation before coming to a decision. "Alright, we'll do one more sweep of the area and then we go back to the lair. If Raph's not home by then…I'll go after him."

Raphael landed on the roof of the docks main warehouse with five minutes to spare. The turtle smiled to himself.

"Glad you could make it, I was about to jump in without you."

He whirled around to face the vigilante. For a moment, he could almost picture the auric eyes beneath that tinted black visor of hers. Raph grinned as he heard the smile in her voice. "You said fifteen minutes." On the inside the turtle was overjoyed. He was afraid that after revealing his identity last night, Midori might treat him differently. Yet she didn't.

Something about her…something in Midori's nature knew the turtle wouldn't want to be treated differently, so she acted the same as she would have normally. Unbeknownst to the turtle, she too felt more at ease in his presence, not to mention safer and protected.

"Can I help it if I get impatient?" She teased.

"No, but impatience can cloud your better judgment." Raphael said with a smirk.

Midori smiled under the helmet. "That's your opinion."

"Let's make this fast, you're keeping me out past curfew."

"Wouldn't want that."

"On the contrary, I like being defiant."

Midori raised an eyebrow, "So what's that make me? Your partner in crime?"

"More like crime fighting." The turtle said with a smile.

A metallic sound called their attention down to the docks below. There were at least a dozen Foot bots down there moving some crates around. They'd busted opened on of the large containers and were now loading up a truck with crates.

Turtle and the vigilante met each other's gaze with matching smirks. Raph spun his sai in front of his face, ready to jump into the fray, he looked back at Jade and was pleased to see her standing only half a meter behind him, her jitte at the ready.

_Time to kick some Foot butt!_

* * *

**(Leonardo's POV)**

That night Raphael came home with a dark bruise on his left arm and two cuts, one on his thigh, the other just above his left elbow. Nothing serious.

I wish I could say the same for us. I sighed and pressed the ice-pack more firmly against my aching head.

When Raphael arrived at the lair Donatello was in the lab with Michelangelo and I was in the main room with Sensei. As soon as my immediate younger brother arrived we both looked up at him with disapproving glances. I looked him up and down quickly. I saw blood and shot up from my place on the couch.

The cut on his arm must have been bleeding profusely before he noticed it, for there was sticky drying blood trailing all the way down the backside of his forearm. He had pulled his elbow pad up to apply pressure and help stop the bleeding. The cut on his leg was also bleeding, but it was substantially shallower than the other. When I saw no other injuries of importance I was about to speak, but he beat me to it.

"What happened to you?" Raph asked, giving a pointed look at the bandages wrapped around my head.

That did it. I snapped.

"Oh, so now you care about us, huh?!"

Raph stared at me wide-eyed and confused, maybe even the slightest bit hurt. "Of course I care! You're my brother! What happened?"

"What do you think happened? We were ambushed by the Krang! Donnie got all scratched up, bruises from head to toe! Mikey's in there with a broken arm, and shell only knows what else, and I have a concussion!" I yelled, louder than I had ever yelled at him in my life. Then the grief and over exhaustion took hold and I swayed.

The red-masked ninja reached out and steadied me, guiding me back over to the couch and setting me down gently. His eyes were wide with fear as he gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes, asking a silent question.

"We'll be fine."

He let out a short sigh of relief. At that moment, Donnie and Mikey walked in from the lab, the youngest' arm wrapped in a cast and sling. Donatello's bruises were even darker than before and I noticed one of his eyes was swollen. As soon as the two of them saw Raph they hurried over.

"Raph, bro, are you okay? We were worried about you!" One look at Raphael and I could tell he wanted to scream something along the lines of: Mikey, you broke your freakin' arm and you were worried about me?!.

"Mikey…" he croaked his voice hoarse and hushed. Without further ado he yanked the orange-clad turtle into a tight embrace. "Man, I'm-I'm so sorry…I didn't mean for—any of this to happen. Guys I…" his voice faded.

I saw Master Splinter glance at him and I, too, focused on Raphael. Seldom have I ever seen my tough, hotheaded brother look so beaten. Raph has always been protective, it's his nature. The fact that he failed to protect is bad enough but to be partially responsible…he's probably overwhelmed with guilt. I'm not saying it's all his fault because he had no idea when he ran off that we would be attacked by the Krang…but still it wasn't right for him to just leave us like that. If he had been there, we'd probably still be hurt, but at least it wouldn't be as bad.

Needless to say, Raphael was in really deep trouble. He was given extra training, and he was grounded until we recovered. I think Sensei went easy on him because he felt extremely guilty already.

Of course that didn't stop him from taking off as soon as he was once again free. The night Splinter relieved him of his punishment, my immediate younger brother was back on the streets. And later that night he returned home with a deep stab wound in his shoulder and on his side there was a tiny slice in his shell.

I jumped to my feet when I saw him stumbling in the doorway to the lair. Terror seized me as he collapsed from blood loss. After many tenuous hours of waiting, Donatello announced that Raphael was going to be just fine.

A couple weeks later, after his recovery, Raph managed to sneak off once again. And of course he returned cut, bruised, and bleeding. It's becoming a thing with him.

While I waited for Donnie to get his medical supplies, I had Raph sit on the lab table and I examined the extent of his injuries. One of the cuts looked rather odd, it was a cut, but it was strangely shaped the front was shallow and as it moved towards the back of his arm it was deeper and seemed to have torn through the flesh. Donatello rushed over to Raph's side and began examining the cuts. Donnie prepared his needle and thread and was about to start stitching the cut, but he paused and lowered it.

"Raphael…" He said, his voice almost a whisper. The brainiac had a strange look on his face that spoke of impending chaos. "Is this…" again my second youngest brother paused, his expression a mix of terror, confusion, and shock, "a bullet wound?"

My eyes widened. A WHAT!? Everyone in the room stared at Raph in horror and suspense, awaiting his answer.

Finally Raph cleared his throat and spoke up. "Yes." He whispered.

I exploded. "RAPHAEL! YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN...could have been…" All my fury left me and I fell back onto a chair as how this night could have played out hit me full force.

"It's just a graze. Leo, I…" he started, his voice soft.

"Raphael." Master Slinter said, catching us off guard.

My younger brother stiffened. "Hai Sensei."

"If this reckless behavior of yours continues, I shall be forced to ground you for the next month."

Raph's green eyes flew upward, filled with shock and…was that fear? But not fear of being grounded. It was something else… My eyes narrowed. He's hiding something.

"NO! You can't!" He said, raising his voice slightly.

Master Splinter raised an eye-ridge, "And why not?"

"Please Sensei, I am so close to getting some vital information on the Foot." Raph said, his eyes sparkling. What? He's still going after the Foot, alone?! Has he gone revenge crazy?!

I shifted my gaze from Raph to Sensei, hoping to gauge his reaction. His eyes were narrowed disapprovingly, but Raph using the word please had softened it a little bit.

"Please Sensei, Father." Master Splinter looked straight into Raphael's bright green eyes and I could tell his resolve was thinning, even if only a little. "I have to do this. I made a promise, I gave my word. It's a matter of honor. I can't go back on it now."

I could already sense Sensei was going to allow him to continue, and my rational side couldn't disagree. If it was truly a matter of honor, then Raph must take care of it himself. But my emotional side was raging. My little brother was hurt! My little brother got SHOT! This can't go on! Not knowing whether or not Raphael will come home alive…or dead!? No. No. I refuse to live like that.

And I was determined to say so. "No. Raphael these nighttime excursions of yours have got to stop. You're putting yourself at risk! Coming home with bruises, cuts, BULLET WOUNDS! Raph this has got to stop! And it needs to end now."

Raph looked up at me with raw determination in his eyes. "I'm sorry Leo. Please believe me when I say that I don't have a choice. I love you guys. You know I do. As for putting myself at risk, yes, I am. But it's for a worthy cause. I'm fighting out of duty, honor and responsibility. Never doubt that. Look, next time I go out, I'll be more careful. I promise."

"No, next time you go out we're going with you."

"No, Leo. I won't drag you guys into this conflict."

"And what exactly is this conflict Raph?!" I demanded. A quick glance around told me that our entire family was now completely enthralled by our conversation.

Raph sighed and lowered his gaze to the floor. "I can't tell ya. I'm afraid it's not my story to tell. But all I can say is that Shredder's gonna hate me a lot more when this thing's through."

Even Master Splinter stared at him in horror. "Raphael, I can understand a matter of honor needing to be settled, but getting even deeper in conflict with the Shredder is very unwise. You should not feel the need to 'tangle' with Oroku Saki just to prove your honor, my son."

"It's not my honor I'm trying to protect, Sensei." he said quietly, prompting all of us to look at him questioningly.

Splinter raised an eye-ridge, "Oh?"

"It's yours." Raph whispered.

My brothers and I stared, completely flabbergasted. Master Splinter took Raphael into the dojo, presumably to explain, but even he could not pry any more information from our hotheaded brother. The last thing I heard as I fell asleep that night was the sound of Raphael pounding away at the punching bag in his room. _Oh, Raph, what have you gotten yourself into?_


	13. Midnight Ride

**Warning this chapter contains some mild language (and it's just a little little bit, so just blot it out) ! Other than that, this chapter is awesome! There is so much more I wanted to get in here, but I really felt like I should update! So please tell me how you guys like it! Now we get to see the start of Raph's acknowledgement of his feelings for a certain teenage human vigilante!**

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**Ch. 13-Midnight Ride**

**(Past-the night when Raph was stabbed)**

Two shadowed figures made their way laboriously through the sewer tunnels. The smaller, more lithe one was supporting the larger, who had one arm draped over her shoulders.

Raphael was weak from blood loss and his head was spinning, but he was still making an effort to support himself as best he could, knowing that Midori would not possibly have the strength to do so herself. The stab wound in his shoulder hurt like hell, and he hadn't been able to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, since the blood loss had left him feeling sleepy and dizzy, he needed her help if he wanted to get back to the lair alive.

Midori had gawked at the fact that Raphael lived in the sewer, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. Turtles were water-loving creatures, after all. _And there are so many weird things in the sewer to begin with, so who's gonna notice a giant mutant turtle?_ She thought sarcastically. _Then again, he is a ninja turtle. So being seen probably isn't much of an issue. But he revealed himself to me. He showed himself to save me, even though he knew it was risk. He saved my life. He trusted me. And now here he is bleeding out in my arms…What am I going to do? What if we don't reach his 'lair' in time?_

"Stop here." The turtle grunted out, pulling the human teenager from her thoughts.

Midori, or Jade, since she still had her helmet on, looked around, "But there's nothing here." She stated, confusion clear in her voice.

"There ain't supposed to be. Lair's just a couple turns down from here. I can make it on my own. Thanks for the help."

"What? No! Raphael, you can't even stand up straight! How can you possibly make it back by yourself?"

"Look, I'm tellin' ya I'll be fine." Raph pulled his arm away and stood shakily on his own two feet. "Just trust me, I'll be okay. If I bring you back to the lair there could be trouble. The Foot could target you and my family would be upset…better if we avoid it."

"Something tells me they're going to be upset already. Besides, I want to meet your father."

"No. I'm not pulling them into this unless it's absolutely necessary. I assume that after tonight's events we are both aware of how dangerous the Foot can be. I have no problem risking my life this way. But risking theirs…like I said not unless there is no other alternative."

"I understand. But I still don't think you can make it back alone."

"I'll be fine." The turtle whispered.

The vigilante removed her helmet and held it against her hip. Then she stared him straight in the eyes. "Can you promise me that?"

Raphael grinned, the pain momentarily blotted out by the tenderness of this moment. "I promise."

Midori returned a half-hearted grin, the best she could manage while her trust in her friend warred with her concern for his well-being. "Okay, I'll see you round, reptile."

Raphael didn't bother to look back after they parted. He knew she wouldn't follow. He trusted her that much.

As the red-masked turtle made his way down the stairs at the lair's entrance, Leonardo wasted no time in confronting him. Fearless frowned and began scolding him, but Raph knew better than to interrupt.

Obviously Leo's so mad, he hasn't even noticed my injuries yet. I should probably be happy about that…

Leonardo finished his angry tirade, but before Raph could even think up a retort his head spun and he collapsed. The last thing the red-banded warrior felt before he swept into darkness, were strong arms catching him just before he hit the floor.

* * *

**(Present-about a month after Raph was stabbed.)**

It was early afternoon. The turtles were enjoying a nice quiet movie night at home…

"LEO!"

…Or as quiet as things could get with Mikey around.

The eldest turned to his younger brother. Yes, Michelangelo I understand you want to watch Super Robo Mecha Force, but I want to watch Space Heroes. I haven't watched in over a month!"

"Yeah, and its been a blessing for the rest of us." Raph mumbled.

"Shut up Raph!" Leo snapped.

Neon green eyes narrowed and the hothead was a fraction of a second away from tackling his older sibling to the ground when his T-phone rang. Raphael checked the caller ID, frowned and made his way out of the common area down the hall to his room. "Yello?"

"Hey you. How fast do you think you can get over to my place?"

The turtle tensed, "You okay?" there was a tinge of sadness in her voice that put him on edge. "Something wrong?"

"_Fine and no, no there's nothing wrong, I've just got something really awesome to show you."_ The sadness was still there, but it was quickly being replaced by excitement.

Raphael grinned, a rare soft smile that he would never dare show in front of his brothers. "An hour from now to late?." He could practically hear her happiness growing, even over the phone and he smiled even wider.

"_I'll be waiting."_ He was about to hang up when—_"Raph, wait!"_

The turtle put the phone back to his ear, "Yea?"

"_You got a helmet?"_

Eye-ridges knitted together in confusion the turtle replied hesitantly, "Yeah, why?"

"_Bring it with you. And wear a disguise….If you have one."_ Before he could question her further, Midori hung up. He rolled his eyes, _girls, never give ya straight answers. _

Raphael began looking around the room for his helmet. _Dammit where is that thing! Damn! I told her ten minutes and I'm gonna spend half of it looking for my stupid helmet!_

He snuck behind his brothers in the main room and into the garage. _Maybe I should just take Leo's_ he thought as he entered the Shellraiser. However, as soon as he did so, he spotted his helmet just under the seat of his station. _Oh yeah that's right, I put it down so I could smack Mikey on the head…_

He swept up the helmet and held it against his side. He moved rapidly back through the lair to his room to gather supplies. _Hm…what will I need tonight? Shuriken? Yep. Sai? Always. Smoke bombs? Wouldn't hurt. _With each item the turtle decided whether he wanted it or not and if so, put it in his belt.

Just as he finished 'packing' a thought struck him. _Disguise huh? Hmm…_

Raphael dialed the number he knew so well without even glancing at the t-phone.

There was a long, slow yawn before someone spoke, "…Raph? Sup dude?" came a groggy voice on the other end of the line.

Green eyes glinted eerily, "Hey Case, got any oversized clothing?"

Casey Jones raised an eyebrow, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. As the real meaning of Raph's question came to him through the sleepy haze he glanced around his room. "No," he smirked, "but I know where I can get some."

Luckily for him, Casey was scheduled to be coming over for movie night in half an hour, which would still give him plenty of time to make it over to Midori's before his time was up.

By the time the hockey-masked vigilante arrived, Raph had been waiting not-so-patiently for almost fifteen minutes. "Took ya long enough, knuckle head!"

"Hey it took me a while to get all this stuff together!" Casey said, motioning to the rather stuffed laundry bag he had over his shoulder.

Michelangelo bounded up between them, popping both of their person space bubbles. "Oooh what's in there? Can I see? Is it weapons, or pizza, or maybe a new pinball machine?!

Raphael face-palmed with a groan, "Sorry Mikey, it's just some stuff I asked Case to bring over."

"Aw. But can I see it?"

"Nope, tough guys only, little brother."

Baby blue eyes narrowed, "Oh please like you're any tougher than I am."

Raph growled and Mikey finally took a hint and scurried back over to the couch where he hid behind Leonardo. The red-masked turtle rolled his eyes before dragging the human teenager and his bag down the hall to his room.

The others watched them go and exchanged glances. "Okay, that was weird." Leonardo stated.

"Yeah, they're acting awful secretive."

Meanwhile in Raphael's room, the turtle pulled oven the bag and began sifting through all the clothing. He found a pair of really baggy black jeans, which he quickly pulled on, prompting his human companion to give him a strange, rather perplexed stare. Raph ignored him and continued looking through all the extremely oversized clothes until he found a black tank top and dark red hoodie that could fit over his shell without making him look like a hunchback. Next he found a large black baseball cap, which he put on his head, brim forwards and pulled the dark red hood of the hoodie over it so that is shadowed his face.

"Well?" The turtle asked his friend.

"Well what?" Casey parroted, still confused.

"How do I look Dumbass?!"

"Uh, you look like an alley creeper with really baggy clothing. Why?"

Raphael sighed dejectedly kicking the ground with his foot. "Just wonderin' I guess. I'm heading out. Thanks for the clothes."

Casey caught the reptile's shoulder as he turned to leave. "Wait, where ya going man? It's movie night."

"I got better things to do."

The human raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?"

Raph's eyes narrowed, "Oh no, I ain't telling you anything else, you blabbermouth. Look, I gotta get going, so step aside."

Jones stepped even further between Raphael and the door, "Not gonna."

"Don't do this Jones. I ain't got time for this right now. And I will fight you."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't hurt me enough to take me down."

Internally, the mutant turtle was fuming._ Oh yeah, I'll show you crapface!_ With that Raphael went to his weapons cabinet, grabbed his manriki and tackled the human. Within seconds Casey Jones, the nighttime vigilante was completely immobilized, his hands and feet secured with weighted chains. As soon as the human realized what had happened he began yelling at the top of his lungs, but by that point in time Raphael was long gone.

As his brothers rushed in the main room, the hotheaded turtle himself snuck out the back through the garage and up the subway tunnels, helmet in hand. The teenage mutant turtle smirked, _job well done._

He landed on the fire escape outside Midori's window exactly ten minutes early. He peered inside carefully. There was no one inside but the light was on. None of the other lights in the apartment were on, so Raphael assumed she was home alone. He decided to take a chance and go on in. however as soon as he had crawled all the way through the window he was assaulted by blows. Raph blocked as best as he could, all the while yelling, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, M! M, chill it's just me! It's me!"

The blows ceased completely and the human canted her head at him for a moment. "Wow, when you're in disguise you go all out!"

Raph grimaced, "I look stupid, don't I?"

Midori's eyes widened for a moment before she jumped back in, "No, no, not at all." She tilted his chin up with her hand and looked him in the eyes. "You look very mysterious. It's kind of…alluring."

_Thank goodness this hood shadows my face_, Raph thought as his cheeks reddened significantly. "Thanks." He grunted. "So…what did you want to show me?"

Watching Midori's face light up filled his heart with a joy that he had never before experienced and Raphael couldn't help but smile. "Follow me." She said.

As they moved into the living room of the apartment, adjacent to the kitchen, something caught Raph's eye. Balloons? He did a double-take. Not just balloons. Birthday balloons. Happy Birthday, they said. His heart clenched. _It's her birthday and she didn't…_ he ground to a halt and Midori turned back to look at him. "Why?" he whispered.

She canted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Raph asked softly, his tone slightly hurt.

Midori's gaze softened as she stared into his eyes. A small, forlorn smile curled at the corner of her mouth. "It didn't seem important. Besides, I didn't see much point in celebrating. Not after what happened to my mother…I've never had a birthday where she wasn't celebrating with me…It just didn't seem like the right thing to do."

The red-masked turtle's shoulders loosened and he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"I know." She whispered. Then she composed herself and brightened a little bit, "But I did get some awesome presents through."

Raph smiled, thankful for the change of subject, and impressed by Midori's strength. "Oh yeah? Whatcha get?

Midori smirked a smirk so mischevious it might even be called a shit-eating grin. "A Kawasaki Ninja ZX 14R."

The hothead's eyes went wide and he stood stock still. "Yer shitin' me, right?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Nope. Though to be fair, I did pay for part of it. I've been saving up for years."

Beautiful neon green eyes narrowed and she grinned in reply, "You even have a license?"

The teenage girl, who Raph now noticed was wearing knee-high boots, blue jeans, and a black leather biker's jacket, pulled out a card and held it between her fingers. He didn't even have to look to know that it was, in fact a driver's license. "Well, Greenie, ya wanna see it?"

"Shell yes!" Raphael breathed out. It was no secret that he was a motorcycle lover, but how Midori had figured it out, he wasn't quite certain. "How'd you know?"

"What?" she asked.

"How'd you know I was a bike fan?"

"Oh, probably because about a month ago in the middle of a fight a bike drove by…"

"MV Agusta F4." Raph rubbed his neck as he realized what she meant. Whenever bikes were concerned he just couldn't help but stare.

His t-phone buzzed.

–_where r u? –L _

_Ha, Leo's getting slow._ He thought as they made their way down a flight of stairs to a small garage opening onto an alleyway. They stopped and Midori turned on the lights.

"Well? What do you think?"

Raph stood there slack jawed. The bike was beautiful. It had a sleek black paintjob complete with red pin-striping. "It's awesome." Then his eyes landed on a darker corner of the garage.

Midori followed his gaze and answered the question before he could even ask it. "That's my uncle's old bike. He gave it to me when I first got my motorcycle license. It's still in pretty good condition, though all things considered my uncle didn't take very good care of it. It's seven years old now."

"You kidding? This is a Ducati 1098! Manufactured from 2007-2009! This is awesome! Got anymore?" he asked glancing around the garage.

Midori chuckled. "No. Unfortunately not." She paused for a moment, staring at the Ducati as if in thought. "You know, part of the reason I called you up here was because my uncle asked me to take it to be scrapped."

The red-banded turtle's eyes flew back to hers with an expression of pure seriousness.

"You can take it. He probably wouldn't even know the difference. That is if you want to." She said quietly.

"IF I want to?! Shell yes I want to! I'll fix it up into a bike for myself! Oh man, Donnie's gonna be so jealous!" Raph said giddily, his eyes literally sparkling. Midori's heart warmed in her chest when she saw her friend, her strange mutant friend who had come to mean so much to her over the past couple months, so happy.

Her lips curled upward into a smile as he ran over and started examining the bike. "It's pretty beat up, and we've been having issues with it stalling lately, part of the reason why my uncle decided it was time I get a new one. Incidentally…" Raph looked up at her, "What do you say we take the Ninja out for a spin?"

Raph's smile could have melted the hardest of hearts. "Really? You'd let me drive it?"

She punched him the shoulder, "Shell no, Reptile, I'm driving!"

"Then what the shell am I supposed to do?!" The hothead asked as she straddled the motorcycle and started it up. The engine was purring like a kitten, still Raph held back.

"Well, don't just stand there! Get on and hang on!" As he slid onto the bike behind her, Raph was once again grateful for the fact that she couldn't see his face. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, his face getting warmer and warmer every second.

No sooner had he wrapped his arms around her, Midori gunned it and they took off, racing through the alley and out onto the street. Raphael had never felt more alive in his entire life. The rush of the air, the thrill of the ride, the love warming his heart at just the feeling of her in front of him, oh god. _Love…could that really be what I'm feeling? _He wondered as they rode on into the night.

* * *

**(Much later that night...)**

He returned home well past three in the morning and, unsurprisingly found his brothers, sensei, and Casey Jones waiting up for him. Raphael was still in a bit of a daze from, not only his experience, but the truth behind his feelings for Midori as well. In any case, the red-masked turtle was in no mood to be pestered by his brothers. He walked right into the main room from the garage without a moment's hesitation.

Of course Fearless was the first to speak up, "Hamato Raphael, where the shell have you been?" he asked, sounding even more hostile than usual.

"Keeping a business appointment." The hothead answered tersely.

Leo's eyes narrowed. The eldest turtle stepped towards his immediate younger brother, and then circled him, obviously checking for injuries. "At least you don't have any injuries tonight."

"Of course not, I didn't do any crime-fighting tonight." He said matter-of-factly.

"Then why all this?" Leo gestured to the clothes Raph was still wearing. "Why the elaborate hoax?"

"I told ya, I had an appointment."

"With who? What for?"

"With a guy. About a motorcycle."

Leo and the others just stared. Finally Jones found his voice first, "So all of this was about a motorcycle? Seriously?"

"Yeah. Met with the guy, managed to get myself a deal."

Donatello couldn't help his own curiosity, "What kind?"

"Ducati." Mikey and Casey's eyes were wide.

"Whoa!" said the youngest turtle.

"Dude! What model?"

"1098 manufactured in 2007."

"Sweet." Jones said with a vague nod.

Leo growled in frustration. _Raph's gone for over three hours and all they do when he finally comes back is start having a conversation about motorcycles?! _"If we're quite done with this?" Silence. "Thank you. Fact remains, Raph you practically worried us to death. We were beginning to wonder if you would even be coming back at all this time."

Master Splinter looked at Leonardo, then he looked at me as though he could sense the deep brooding tension between us. Finally he turned to the others and said, "Come my sons, we must let your older brothers sort out this conflict themselves. Casey, perhaps Donatello and Michelangelo can accompany you back to the surface?"

"Sure thing, Master Splinter. Let's go guys."

All Raph could do was stare directly across from him up into his older brother's gaze. He had no idea what was going to happen, what would result from this discussion, but he knew that somehow, it would change his life forever.

* * *

**Please tell me what you thought!**


	14. Fear, Fight and Flight

**Originally the fight was going to be one chapter and then what Raph did after was going to be separate, but you, my lucky friends have earned the honor of both in one! Yay! Also there is a bit of a time skip between the two which I intend to cover later. But please tell me what you think of this chapter, I really appreciated the comments I received on the last one! Thank you so much!**

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**Ch. 14-Fear, Fight, and Flight**

The two eldest turtles stood about three feet apart facing each other, fists clenched.

"Raph I told you, this has got to stop. All of us are worried sick. You keep putting yourself in danger. Putting your _life_ in danger."

When there was no response, Leonardo stepped towards his younger brother. His eyes flashed with worry but his dark blue gaze remained hard. The eldest gripped Raphael's face with both hands, forcing him to make eye contact, begrudgingly.

"You don't seem to mind that much." Leo said.

Raph said nothing, his normally neon green eyes were now dull, clouded and impassive. That only worried Leo even more.

"Why do you do this?" the eldest asked, hoping his brother would at least speak to him.

"Same reason I do everything else I do. Because I think it's the right thing to do. I'm going to help people Leo. It's what I do, what we do."

"Even if you run the risk of dying?"

Raph tried to turn his head away, but Leo wasn't having it and he only forced the red-masked gaze back to him. "Of course." Raph's eyes closed slightly as he stared at the floor. "In the long run, it doesn't seem to matter much."

The eldest's eyes widened, and he gripped his younger brother's shoulders tightly. Fear coiled around his heart, mercilessly squeezing the life out of him. _My brother…my brother…Oh Raph, how could I have let it get this far? How we must have hurt you...for you to think so little of yourself…oh Raph._ On the inside the turtle may have felt guilty, but on the outside his dark blue eyes were wide with shock and fear. _Does Raph have a death-wish?_

Raphael saw the expression on Leo's face and let out a dark half-hearted chuckle, "Oh, come on, Leo. I ain't suicidal. Geez, you'd think you of all turtles would know I'd never pull that kinda shit." Raph pushed Leo's hands off his shoulders and waved off his suspicions with a hand.

Leonardo sighed. "Then what did you mean by it?"

"By what?" the red one asked nonchalantly, obviously evading the question.

Leo's eyes glinted, "You know what. You're just stalling."

The red-banded turtle's eyes narrowed fractionally, "None of your damn business, that's what."

"It's my business if it involves the wellbeing of my family!" Leo yelled, his overwhelming emotions completely taking over and he was overcome. Next thing he knew he couldn't think, all he could feel was anger.

"Oh, so now they're _your_ family, huh?!" Rage began to swell and both brothers tensed. The tension grew thicker with every passing moment.

The leader pointed an accusing finger at his brother. "That's not what I meant and you know it! This behavior of yours is putting our family in danger!"

"So what if that's not what you meant! It's what you said isn't it?!" Raphael growled, growing louder and louder by the minute, "I don't see why I put up with this shit, I could just leave and go it on my own, there's nothing keeping me here. I'm not tied to you, Fearless. So don't push me!"

"So you say, yet somehow you've always return!"

Raph bristled, his fists clenched, "Yeah, well I've just about had enough of you! Maybe this time I won't bother doing you the honor of coming back!"

"Oh, you'll be back! Whiny and angry as ever. The world spins round and everything remains the same!" Leo yelled, watching his fuming sibling gathering his stuff and preparing to storm out of the lair. The blue-clad turtle followed Raphael as he went down the hallway to his room, both of them yelling all the way.

Finally, after following the turtle back out of the hallway and seeing him to the door, the eldest growled bitterly, "I'll wait up for you."

The red-masked turtle's lips bared in a snarl, "Well then, you can save yourself the trouble cause I won't be back!" A muscular arm reached out and shoved the eldest turtle backwards, where he fell unceremoniously on his behind at the lair entrance.

"You'll be back!" Leo yelled after the hothead.

"No I won't Leo." The younger stated quietly, so much so that his brother could barely hear him.

He didn't like that crack in Raph's voice. Leonardo looked up, but it was far too late. A engine roaring away down the tunnel alerted him to the fact that his brother had taking the shell cycle with him. The emerald green turtle was already gone.

Leo pulled himself slowly to his feet. He'd gone too far. Way too far. Goodness knows he loved his little brother, no matter how frustratingly hotheaded and stubborn he may be. But Raph could push his buttons like no one else.

The eldest sighed. He headed straight back to Raph's room to see what he took with him. Raphael never took much with him when he went out, but Leo could usually figure out how long his immediate brother was going to stay out based on what he had left with. Of course, he hadn't really been able to note the turtle's inventory earlier because he'd been too busy yelling at him. Once in Raphael's room Leo made his way over to the weapon's cabinet and yanked open the double doors.

_Well…looks like he took his sai. **Big surprise.** Smoke bombs, shuriken, manriki, extra wrappings, t-phone…Wait a minute…Manriki? Why on Earth would he bother taking manriki? Hmm…I wonder…_

The blue-clad turtle sifted through the larger weapons at the bottom of the cabinet until his hand landed on a long wooden box. He lifted it out carefully and opened it up.

_Oh no._

The box fell to the floor with a loud boom that echoed through the entire lair. _But why would he take those with him? He's never taken those with him before, why would he do it now unless…_ The shiny wooden box lay open on the floor its contents missing. But the shape imbedded in the box's foam lining revealed exactly what the box had contained. It was the box Raphael used for his extra pair of sais.

Worry surged through him and Leo rushed around the room, noting everything that was missing. The last place he stopped was Raph's photo wall. There was one picture missing: the one right in the center. _The one of Me, Don, and Mikey…_ Leo keened in pain as he fell to his knees and wept.

_What have I done?_

* * *

Jade and Raphael were out on patrol. The human teenager was desperately hoping that they wouldn't find any trouble tonight. Last time had been close enough, and right now the turtle was a nervous wreck. She wasn't even entirely sure he should be driving but he had brought his own vehicle tonight. He called it the shell-cycle, or something like that. It was dark grey and appeared to me made of strong durable material and the plates could be pulled up over the driver. At least it was sturdy…

The sound of shots ringing through the air brought Jade out of her thoughts. _So much for hoping we wouldn't get in any trouble…_three Foot bots riding motorcycles were now following them, shooting at them.

_Where the Shell are the Foot getting all these guns?_ Raph wondered. Midori glanced at Raphael who yelled over to her, "Split up!"

She nodded and went down one alley, while he headed down a small street. Both took note that they were moving closer and closer to East River Park.

No matter how hard he tried, the red-masked turtle could not shake his pursuers. So Raphael took the turn into the park, hoping he could throw them off, but they stuck on his tail.

In the meantime the vigilante had hidden herself in a nearby alleyway. She had pulled in and turned the bike off, so as to have a view of the back street. When she heard the Foot's engines approaching she readied her jitte. As soon as they were within range she pounced and ran them through. Jade rolled their bikes off the side and headed back over to where she had last seen Raph. It wasn't hard for her to figure out where he'd gone. Heading for the park would have been her back-up plan too.

Across the large grassy area she could see her mutant friend riding fast on his motorcycle, Foot hot on his tail. Now that she could get a closer look she realized that there were actually two Foot bots, one driving, while the other took pot shots at Raphael.

_No!_

The semi-automatic machine gun opened fire, shots ringing through the air. Jade could only stare, horrified, as the boy-er-turtle she had come to regard as he best friend was being shot at. Anger surged within her and she gunned it, the Ninja's engine roaring intimidatingly.

Before Jade could even do anything, however, one of the shots struck the shell cycle's tire, another hitting the fuel tank. The Shell-cycle spun into a skid, and rammed the railing, throwing both bike and driver off the side, but not before exploding in a fiery inferno.

Midori's eyes went wide. _No!_ She charged the Foot bots, using the skills Raph had helped her develop to skewer them right through the head with her jitte. Jade threw the kickstand down on her bike and jumped off, heading straight for the river and diving in without a second thought.

'_Please, oh please, be alive,' _repeated in her thoughts like a mantra. She saw a large, turtle-humanoid shaped body in the water and she swam straight over to him, dragging him up by his carapace. Midori headed for the nearest embankment, struggling to keep the turtle's head above the water and praying that she wasn't too late.

Once they reached the sandy bank, she dragged the heavy turtle out onto the shore, she yanked off his bright red helmet and collapsed beside him, her shoulders heaving with every breath.

Jade glanced over at him through her dark visor. _He's not breathing…oh no._ Midori yanked the helmet off, her long, wet, black hair sticking to pale, terrified face.

She put a hand just in front of his nose and mouth. _Nothing._ Then she felt for a pulse. After a few moments of nothing tears began to form in her eyes. _No please no!_ The young human began desperate chest compressions. "Come on, Raph! Please don't give up on me now! You can do this, come on breathe, breathe!" She paused for a moment and felt again: no breath, no pulse. Midori resumed her efforts, "Please, Raphael don't do this to me! I need you! You're the best friend I've ever had and I can't bear to lose anyone else right now! Come on, Breathe!" Finally she began series of mouth to mouth, compressions, mouth to mouth, compressions, mouth to mouth. Minutes seemed like hours before she finally pulled away, broken and sobbing. She collapsed against the turtle's chest and wept.

…Until all at once there came a hacking cough and a wretch from the figure beneath her. Golden eyes shot up to the turtle's face, even more overjoyed to see his beautiful green orbs staring back. "Thank goodness!" she cried throwing her arms around his neck desperately. The tears now running down her face were those of pure joy. "Oh, Raph! I thought I'd lost you!"

The turtle's only reply came in the form of a pained sigh, before he straightened, weakly returning her embrace. "It's okay, I'm alive, at least." He stated, his voice raspy and filled with pain.

Midori's eyes filled with worry, "What's wrong? Where are you injured?"

"I think that explosion sent me shell first into a rock. I think it's cracked. If not knocked loose." He said, barely managing to get the words out.

Honey-colored eyes widened. Midori pressed her hands gently to the sides of the turtle's face, making him smile, "Don't you worry, this hunk a' turtle ain't leavin' ya alone anytime soon."

"Thank god for that." she whispered, "What do I do? I can't leave you here, and you need medical attention. I have basic first aid experience, but I know next to nothing about turtles."

Raph smiled bitterly, "Nice of me to get myself kicked out this morning wasn't it?"

"Raphael, I'm not kidding. You need help." She pushed herself shakily to her feet, before looking back down at him. "Can you stand?"

"Maybe with a little help."

Midori helped the turtle over to the motorcycle, not forgetting to grab their helmets on the way. He climbed on first, and she put his helmet back on his head before getting in front of him. When he leaned against her, resting some of his bodyweight on her, she felt assured beyond all doubt that she really had been lucky tonight. Lucky that Raphael, a mutant she'd come to appreciate more than anything else in the world, was alive. _Weak, perhaps gravely injured, but alive and strong._

And she was determined from this moment on to cherish that fact.

**Please tell me how it was! **


	15. Home

**Ch. 15-Home**

Jade stared concernedly down at the figure on the worn old mattress. It had taken her quite some time to get the turtle into what she had dubbed her 'Hideout. The teenage vigilante had found out about this place while going through her uncle's company papers. It was a huge underground storage area, originally intended to store top secret government equipment. Unfortunately, the whole operation was put on hold and eventually forgotten, which meant she had an entire warehouse-sized space all to herself complete with independent power generator and an elevator large enough to accommodate her motorcycle. Once she had discovered its location, all it took was a little bit of ingenuity to crack the electronic locks and everything was good to go.

She didn't have much in the way of furniture, just an old mattress, a couple of lamps and several large tables. Midori ran a gentle hand over the turtle's fevered brow, before pressing a soft kiss right between his eye-ridges.

After their really close encounter two nights ago, Midori had taken the turtle back there with her and proceeded to stay with him. _Man, we're lucky things played out the way they did...or I wouldn't have been able to take care of him._ She thought, her mind flashing back to that very morning…

* * *

It had been about forty-five minutes after Raphael left when there came a quite knock at Midori's window. She looked up, startled, raising an eyebrow when she saw the turtle standing outside, an unreadable expression on his face. Then, within seconds the reptile was gone. Midori went over, stuck her head out the window and looked up, noting the turtle was headed for the roof. And he was moving fast.

Something in the air waves told her he expected her to follow. The cool night air that swept into the room made her pull a jacket on over her pajamas before she stepped out of the window. Her loose pajama pants billowed gently in the wind, her hair getting swept into her face. Midori climbed the fire escape as fast as she could making her way to the building's roof. As soon as her dark green slippers touched the flat cemented surface, her eyes searched the darkness for the turtle.

Her honey-colored gaze landed on him after a few long moments. A loud cry of rage and hurt filled the air as Raph pounded his fists against the concrete stairwell. Midori approached him slowly, making certain he was aware of her presence. His sinuous green shoulders heaved up and down with every tenuous breath and she knew he was struggling to hold back tears.

Slowly, she reached out, pressing her light palms against the turtle's shoulders. That was all it took. All the tension that had collected there evaporated under her touch. The anger that had been boiling inside of him now completely drained, leaving only sadness, regret and hurt.

After a long silence Midori spoke, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Raph." She began sternly, about to tell him to let it go, but he cut her off.

"Ugh! I just…I can't—oh forget this! This is it! I just can't take it anymore! They want me to leave so bad, then fine! They'll get their wish! Why can't they just accept that I do what I do because I'm a fighter! This city is in my blood, it's a part of me and I'm not just about to let its people down. That settles it. This time I'm staying out and I'm not going back!" The red banded turtle turned away from her, but Midori reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"You can't run from your problems, Raph. No matter how hard it may be you have to go back, stare them in the face and tell them what you just told me now." She paused, "Though albeit in a calmer and slightly more composed manner."

The green-eyed turtle turned to face her, about to speak but before he had a chance to do so, the door knob of the stairwell turned and the door began to creak. The mutant's eyes widened and he jumped back into the shadows.

"Midori? Are you out here?" Uncle Ryuu's voice called softly.

"Yes, Uncle I'm here." She replied equally quietly.

The six-foot tall man stepped out onto the roof and moved over to his niece. "Thank goodness you're here, when I checked your room and found you gone I was worried."

Midori waved off his concern, "I'm fine. I had some trouble sleeping so I decided to sit up here and enjoy the view."

Uncle Ryuu glanced around. "Yes indeed, it's very beautiful."

She raised an eye-ridge at him, "Is there something wrong, Uncle?"

The middle-aged man shifted nervously. He looked deep into his niece's amber eyes for a moment before replying, "I've been called out of the country on business."

Midori looked up, slightly surprised. "For how long?"

"I'm not sure. Two or three weeks most likely."

"Hm." She replied, turning her gaze back out towards the city.

"But before I made the plans I wanted to make sure that you'd be okay. Are you alright with this?"

Midori turned her attention back to his kind face and smiled softly, "Of course I am. I am a big girl after all. I can take care of myself. I think I can survive for two or three weeks on my own. We both know I've handled worse."

The tall, muscular man nodded. "Alright. If you're certain." She nodded. "My plane leaves at 3:20. Call me if anything happens, okay?"

"Okay." She said with a smile.

The great big man wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly to his chest. "Love you, kid."

"Love you too, uncle."

He smiled and brushed his fingers against her chin. "See you soon as I get back." He kissed her forehead and with one last parting smile he exited through the stairwell.

Raphael waited until he was certain the man was gone before he emerged from the shadows. The two teenagers exchanged glances and finally the turtle spoke.

"In that case…what do you say we go out for a run?"

"Don't you think you should head home?" She urged and his shoulders sank.

"Yeah…I'm not ready to face them quite yet. Think I'm gonna stay away for a little while. Just to—ya know—clear the air. Give 'em a chance to cool off." Though his voice was calm his entire body was practically shaking with nervousness. Obviously, whatever words had been exchanged in the fight earlier, where really sticking with him.

Midori gave him a sideways glance and nodded. Maybe it will help him work off the nervousness. "Alright, one round, then you're going home before your family members all have nervous breakdowns."

The turtle nodded, his bright green eyes glowing hypnotically in the moonlight.

* * *

Midori was pulled from her thoughts as a soft groan sounded from the figure on the bed. The teenager kneeled down by his bedside and looked him over. Raph's forehead was sweating as he had a slight fever, no doubt a result of almost drowning. Long, pale fingers lifted a wet washcloth from the bowl at her side and wrung it out lightly before placing it, soothingly, on the reptile's brow. Raphael flinched and pulled away with a small whimper. Midori cooed and pulled his head back in her direction, which was difficult considering that he was sprawled out on his plastron, the side of his head pressed into the mattress's soft surface.

Slowly, oh so slowly, emerald green eyelids flickered open. The bright neon irises lit up softly.

A gentle frown curved at the corners of her mouth and she whispered, "You got lucky."

Green eyes moved slowly up to her face and the reptile croaked out, still slightly pained. "Luck is all that keeps me alive sometimes." One corner of his mouth curved upward into a pained smirk, his eyes never leaving her, beautiful, concerned face.

"I know." She said, her tone hushed. Midori looked down at him, their gazes meeting. Her amber eyes were hard and serious. "You have to be more careful, Raphael, or one of these days you're going to get really hurt…if not worse."

Raph scoffed, "Heh. C'mon, it's not like anyone's going to care what happens to me! My family couldn't care less about me, all I've ever been is a burden! I mean, look at me! I'm a jacked up mutant freak! Who in Shell is gonna give a shit?!" He stated, slowly pushing himself up. Noting the bandages wrapped on his carapace with his peripheral vision.

"I would." Midori replied with so much certainty that Raph was momentarily left with his mouth agape. "You're a wonderful person Raphael Hamato. You have courage, strength, compassion and warmth. I've seen how you fight, I've seen how much heart you put into each and everything that you do. You're amazing." She stood, taking his hands in hers and looked down into his gorgeous green gaze. "The world needs guys like you, Raph. Even if they can't know that you exist. And we both know all that nonsense about your family isn't true." With that she walked away and Raph remained seated on the bed a couple moments longer.

Finally he pushed himself up and stood shakily on his feet. He went after Midori and put hand on her shoulder, making her stop. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

She turned to look at him over her shoulder. Eventually she decided that since he knew she had been worried, nothing more that needed to be said on the manner.

When he received no reply, Raphael moved on, "What time is it?"

"Almost nine o'clock, Sunday night."

Raphael's eyes went wide and he stared. "What? Midori…please tell me you're kidding." When she said nothing he rubbed his temples and sighed dramatically. "Oh man, we went out on Thursday…er early Friday morning. So I've been out for three days?" Midori nodded.

"Yes, but if you're thinking about leaving I must advise against it. You still have a slight fever, though it has gone down drastically."

"Sorry, M. I'd love to stay with you and all, but I really gotta get home. You told me I had to face my problems and I'm going to do it. Besides, they're probably going to freak out about my injuries and everything so I better get going."

She stepped in front of him and pushed him backwards. "Until your fever breaks it isn't safe for you to go topside. At least wait until then. It should be back to normal within two hours from now."

Raphael finally gave in, begrudgingly. Unfortunately two hours turned out to be four and the turtle didn't get back to the lair until almost one thirty. He traversed the entranceway slowly, expecting his brothers to come bounding up to him at any moment.

When nothing happened he glanced around, surprised to find no one waiting up. _Well it has been three days…But last time they waited for me._

The red-masked turtle moved toward the lab, pushing the door open slowly. His soft green gaze fell almost immediately on the brainiac's thin form which lay fast asleep at the desk. An emerald green hand pulled the door closed silently, and he about-faced making straight for his room.

The hothead's heart sank a little as he allowed himself to believe that they hadn't even cared that he was gone. With a frown he shook it off, denying that line of though completely, as he entered his room. The second-eldest turtle closed the door with a soft click, and turned around.

The corners of his lips pulled upward into a soft, gentle smile. Michelangelo, his baby brother, was curled up on his bed. Which, of course, in any other situation would have earned him a beatdown, but at this moment it was exactly the reassurance that Raph needed. The little turtle was shaking slightly with cold and Raph went over to pull the covers up over him. Mikey sighed contentedly in his sleep and murmured, "Thanks, Raphie."

Raphael did a double-take, before he realized, with certainty that the young turtle was still asleep. _That Mikey had somehow known which of his brothers it was seemed incredible enough, but why would he assume it was me?_ Raph thought. Oh well.

The red-masked turtle made himself comfortable as he could on the floor and fell into a deep and exhausted sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning with a groan. I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to deal with another day of Leo blaming himself, Donnie shutting himself up in his lab and Sensei drilling us harder than usual. I just couldn't do it anymore. I got a full night's sleep last night, yet somehow I still feel emotionally drained. _Wait a second, this isn't my room! Oh, right._ I decided to sleep in Raph's room last night. Gosh, I miss him so much. _That's funny…I don't remember pulling the covers up last night._ I got up and looked around, wondering if any of my brothers had wandered in here in the middle of the night. Nothing.

I got up and started making my way towards the door, when something moving near my feet caught my attention. I looked down and gaped. _Raph?!_ _He's alive! He's okay!_ I rejoiced, about to pounce on him and squeeze the life out of him, while simultaneously yelling at him to never do anything like that again. But I stopped myself when something else caught my eye. He had bandages wrapped around his carapace. Not only that, but he looked dead tired. I frowned. I'll let him sleep for now. I can celebrate later. A full smile spread across my face for the first time in three days. I yanked the blankets off the bed and lay them gently over my older brother's sleeping form before creeping silently out of the room ninja style.

I headed straight to the kitchen and started making breakfast, whistling and humming happily. Donatello was the first to arrive, followed closely by Leonardo, both of them still with grave looks on their faces. I decided to give them a piece of my mind. See, I had assumed that Donatello, Leo and Sensei had already been aware Raph was home, but they hadn't told me because I was already sleeping. So I was kinda mad they hadn't woken me up to let me know. I sent them both mock glares as I turned and pointed at them with the spatula. "So why didn't you guys wake me up?"

My bros exchanged confused glances. Then Leo turned back to me, "What are you talking about Mikey?"

I gave him a frustrated 'really' look. "Don't try that with me, Leo. You guys should have woke me up, it would have been really important to me."

Leo's curuelean blue eyes narrowed, "Michelangelo, what are you talking about? Why should we have woken you up?" he said, his voice raised with impatience and frustration.

My eyes widened as I realized they really didn't know what I was talking about. "Didn't you wait up for Raph last night?"

At the mention of Raphael, both turtles deflated.

Leo looked up, his eyes tired and emotionally drained. "Raph's not coming back Mikey. There was no point in waiting anymore."

I went over to the stove and turned off the omelets. I yanked off the apron I had on and my brothers gave me a confused stare. I grabbed both of them by the arm and dragged them down the hallway to Raph's room.

"Mikey what on earth has gotten into you?!" Leo asked rather loudly.

"Shh!" I told him. Opening the door as quietly as I could.

"Mikey what are you trying to pull?" Donnie asked just as I poked my head in to make sure Raph was still there. And he was, fast asleep. I pushed the door open the rest of the way, gesturing for both of them to be quiet and pointed at the floor.

They humored me, and as soon as they saw the sleeping figure on the floor, their eyes almost bugged out of their heads. At their simultaneous gasps Raph popped one eye open and grumbled, "What is this a floor show?"

All three of us ran over and threw ourselves onto the floor and straight into him, rolling him back on his shell slightly. Our hotheaded brother hissed in pain and pushed us away frantically, and we took a step back, staring at him worriedly. As soon as he was back on his plastron and the pain seemed to have ceased, D was by Raph's side. He pulled the blanket off so he could look at Raph's shell, and he was surprised to see it had already been bandaged. The brainiac was about to start unwrapping them when Raph caught his arm, "Don't Donnie, it's already been taken care of."

"What happened?" Leo asked, and I could tell from the look on Raphael's face that he wasn't looking forward to telling us.

Both Donnie and I took special note of the way our hotheaded brother tensed when he realized Leo looking straight at him, and from that moment on their gazes remained locked. Finally with a grumble and a sigh Raph muttered, "I lost the shell cycle."

_And then D went bonkers._

"You LOST the shell cycle! Raphael it took me weeks to build that! It's not like we can just buy a new one!" Raphael flinched, "What did you do, forget where you parked it?!"

Raph stared at the floor, "It kinda blew up."

Everything stopped and we stared at our red-masked brother. Leo's eyes narrowed, I glanced over at him and something told me that he suspected there must have been more to it than that because he continued to stare at Raph until the red-masked sighed dramatically.

"Alright fine, it blew up while I was on it." He stated reluctantly, all three of us tensed as we realized that Raph had come really close to being killed, _again_.

Any objection Don might have had was swallowed as he spoke up hoarsely, "I designed it to have all kinds of safety provisions, something like that shouldn't have been able to happen." Even I could tell from his tone that he was blaming himself. Before I could say anything to comfort him Raph spoke up, yet again.

"Don't blame yourself, Donnie. Even you couldn't have predicted a bullet hitting the fuel tank."

"A bullet hit the…." Donatello's voice faded away as he stared at Raph wide-eyed.

Leo crossed his arms over his plastron, "Raphael, I thought we had agreed that any enemy with guns is forbidden to engage, especially when you're alone."

"Geez, cool it Leo. It's not like I could just tell the Foot, 'hey my bros don't want me fighting guys with guns,' and run off. Beside they were the ones chasing us-I mean me!"

Leo's eyes narrowed as he caught Raph's slip up, but in the end I guess he decided it was better not to confront the hothead. Then his eyes widened as he realized something else, "Wait, you said the Foot are the ones with guns?"

"Yeah, yeah, the Foot Fearless, ya know those guys we fight all the time whose leader looks like an overgrown can-opener?"

"How long have they been using guns?"

"Uh…" he said, his eye-ridges furrowed in a thinking expression.

"Come on, Raph, this is important!"

"Alright, alright, lemme think, ya jerk!" Raph was silent for a moment before answering, "Two or three weeks now I guess. First night I know of was the night I came home with a graze, obviously."

"Okay, we need to tell Master Splinter and ask him how to go about this." Leo said determinedly.

Donnie looked at me for a moment and then at Raph, "Hey, Raph?" Bright green eyes looked over at us, "Do you think you could show me the place where the Shell cycle blew up? There might still be some parts worth scavenging."

"Um….I don't think so, Don." All three of us looked at him questioningly.

"Why not?" Donnie asked.

Raph scratched the back of his head nervously. "Unless you're willing to go look underwater..."

"WHAT?" We all said simultaneously.

Raphael sighed and then started to tell us the whole story, "I was going for a late night run. I was planning to come home later and apologize to Leo, but I wanted to do one more round, cuz…well I'll explain that later. I was on the shell cycle and next thing I know there's a motorcycle with two Foot bots following and taking pot shots at me with a semi-automatic. I took the 'scenic drive' through East River Park trying to throw them off. I was almost rounding a bend when one shot hit the tire and set me skidding. Second shot hit the fuel tank, and the whole thing exploded just after crashing through the railing into the River. I got thrown backwards into a rock, cracking my shell real bad."

All of us stared at our brother, absolutely terrified. Leo was the first to act. He approached Raph and wrapped his arms around him, obviously taking care not to press against his shell in any way. It was then that I realized my eldest brother had tears in his eyes. He clung to our brother, sobbing over and over that it was his fault and he was so sorry.

Donnie elbowed me and gestured towards the door. I nodded my agreement.

It was about time we let those two make up on their own.

**Reviews make chapters come faster! Review please!**


	16. Prelude to a Kiss

**So I spent a long time picking a song for this chapter (you'll see why later) because I wanted it to fit, not only their mood, but also reflect the coming events. (And I don't own the song, disclaimer at the end) So, enjoy and let me know what you think! I really appreciate all the reviews I've been getting from you guys and I hope to see more!**

* * *

**Ch. 16-Prelude to a kiss**

It had been almost a week and a half since the Shell Cycle incident, and life at the lair had never been weirder. This uncharacteristic silence was really getting to all of them, but especially to Michelangelo. On the brighter side of things Raphael and Leonardo hadn't bickered, fought or snapped at each other since that fateful night, but at the same time, Donatello and Splinter were beginning to wonder whether that was actually going to make it worse when they do. After all, now there was at least a week's worth of tension on their shoulders instead of just the usual few days they spent between fights.

Donatello and Michelangelo had no doubt that whatever words of apology had passed between their older brothers, there must have been some serious heart-to-heart going on. Of course that might not seem like a big deal, but then again: this is Raphael we're talking about. And goodness knows Leonardo can be just as stubborn as the hothead when discussing his feelings.

Currently the two younger turtles were in the main room, their eyes calmly and quietly watching the unfolding situation.

It had been a while since the…erm 'motorcycle accident.' And, to put it bluntly, Raphael wanted out. And Leonardo, being the overprotective, worrying elder brother that he was, had refused. Mikey and Donnie were keeping a careful eye on the two of them, even if only to make sure that it didn't end up like last time. (Leonardo had fessed up and told them what he'd said after Raph had left.)

"Raphael, no means no!"

"Look, Leo, I know you don't understand, but I need to go up! I've stayed down here as long as I can take! I have to get topside! I'm fully recovered. You've been letting me out on patrol haven't ya?!"

"When we're on patrol you're with us, we can watch out for you!"

That definitely struck a nerve. Raphael drew in a long breath and his jaw clenched. His next words were low and dangerous, his green eyes now on fire, "You sayin' I need a chaperone, Fearless?"

Mikey and Donnie exchanged nervous glances, this was turning into a fight, and it was escalating fast. The question was: should they step in? Donatello looked insightfully at Raphael's face. The hothead's muscles were tense, his back was a little straighter than his usual posture and he looked just plain exhausted. The turtle's brown eyes narrowed. Has Raph been sleeping? He wondered, before continuing his assessment of Raph. More than just tired, Raphael looked stressed out. Like he was worried about something. But, perhaps the most telling factor of all was that he looked in desperate need of an emotional outlet. Much as the brainy turtle hated to admit it, Raph was right. He need to go topside. And he probably needed to do it alone if he wanted to achieve any relief whatsoever. Don met Mikey's gaze again. This time, the youngest was about to interject, when Donatello put a hand on his shoulder and motioned him not to interfere. This one was all their brother's battle. If it didn't concern them, they had no right to interfere. Of course, that wouldn't stop them from jumping in if it led to an all-out brawl.

Leonardo paused for a moment before answering, "I'm saying that every time you go up there by yourself you end up getting hurt. I'm saying I'm not going to stand for it any more. I'm saying we don't want a repeat of last time."

_Ah yes_, thought Don_, I'd almost forgotten what tension felt like…almost._

Raph's gaze quickly fell to the floor and he looked down, which was very uncharacteristic of him. All three of his brothers knew how stubborn he was, and there had been many times they had teased him about it. But they were all very surprised when their hotheaded brother said nothing, but instead approached the eldest.

"Leo, I know you're worried about me. I…can understand that. Especially after what happened, but please. I need this, bro." Leo glared at him. "I know you're going to say that my saying please won't automatically make you let me out, but just hear me out. I know you've all," he gave a pointed look at Donnie and Mikey, whom he knew were listening, "been really scared by what's been happening to me lately, and I'm sorry I put you guys through that. But you have to know that I can't just be down here all the time. It's really hard for me. I gotta get some release, and strangely enough, I can only get that by being topside, and alone." The last was addressed to Leonardo, who was probably about to suggest a compromise where one of them went with him.

Donatello decided that enough was enough. Leo was never going to give in unless he was convinced, and obviously Raphael's assurance alone wasn't good enough, given the circumstances. "Let him go, Leo. It's obvious that all of this is affecting him as much as it is us. He's right. He needs it, if not for his mental health then for his physical wellbeing." Donatello walked over to the eldest and bent over slightly to whisper in his ear, "Take a good, long look at him, Leo. He hasn't slept in days, he's physically exhausted and emotionally strained. He's no better than a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode. It's safest to let him go now, while he's being ration than to have him storm off in a whirlwind of emotions and get himself shot at like last time."

Leo's lips turned downward into a frown. Donnie was right, Raph did look exhausted and stressed. The leader sighed. "Alright. You can go." Instead of receiving the customary Raph-victory-smirk he had been expecting all the blue-masked ninja saw was a rather relieved grin. Just before the hothead reached the door Leo yelled out, "You better be home by curfew!"

The emerald green turtle held up his right hand, "Swear." And with that he turned and ran the rest of the way out of the lair.

"Be safe." The eldest whispered after him, by that point the other was long gone.

Donnie sensed Leonardo's fear and he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I wish I could promise you that he'll be fine, but with Raph, that is not generally the case."

"I know." Leo replied, his eye-ridges furrowed in a troubled expression.

The brainiac squeezed Leo's shoulder gently, "At least I can assure you that you made the right decision, no doubt about it."

Leonardo smiled briefly at that, "Thanks Donnie."

"Anytime."

He headed straight for Midori-er-her uncle's place, but she wasn't in her room. He pulled out his t-phone and sent her a text message: Where r u?

-Kitchen, she replied.

Ur unc home yet? He asked.

-Not due back for 2 weeks yet. Trip extended.

Raphael smiled and tried her window. He was happy to find that she had left it slightly open. The reptile walked through her room and soon found his way to the kitchen.

He found Midori, wearing short shorts, a t-shirt and a red polka dotted apron, a frilly red polka dotted apron. The turtle smirked, his head filled with smart remarks but the human turned and glared at him before he could say anything. "Don't even."

Raph held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, you got me." Then his mind registered the music. It was an ending playoff, but it was something he didn't recognize, so he asked, "Whatcha listenin' to?"

Midori's face flushed in embarrassment and Raph grinned evilly. He pressed a button on the hand-held music player that was plugged into the speaker system, going back to the song that had just ended and glanced at the background information.

"1955? I didn't know you were into old music." His green eyes glanced back up at Midori.

"It isn't exactly something you'd mention in an everyday conversation."

"On the contrary, it's totally something that would come up in a normal, everyday conversation. I think we've just never had one."

Midori ignored the turtle's commentary and went on, "The song itself is older. This artist just recorded it in 1955. "

"Oh." The turtle stated, deciding it would be better not to pretend he actually understood what she was talking about. He didn't know a lot about music. Well, sure, he could strike a few chords on a guitar and play a beat on the drums, but other than that, he was pretty much out of his depth. (What he did know was courtesy of an old guide to instruments book that had somehow ended up in the sewers. But he hadn't even read it all the way through and Don knew a lot more about most of the technical and mathematical aspects of music than he did. Raphael himself had learned most of what he knew by ear, which meant that basically he got his hands on the instrument, and from there it was all trial and error. If it didn't sound right, it probably wasn't, and so on and so forth.) "So who is it?"

Midori just stared at him for a moment, and Raph was beginning regret asking. Until Midori shrugged it off, "Well, I guess you wouldn't know. Not many people our age nowadays would. I wouldn't even know if it wasn't for a teacher I had once in middle school. He was real old-fashioned, and he retired the year after I took his class. But in your answer to your question, its Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz singers of her day."

Raph nodded, Midori's obvious love for the topic piqued his interest in it. "So, you like the music of the time period, or just her music?"

"Both. But I really like the style of music that was written then, especially the love songs like this one; they're just so sweet and timeless. I guess I'm sort of an easy believer. I expect love to be exactly like it is in music, without ever experiencing it. Well I suppose what I'm trying to get at here is the real reason why I like it is because, I'd like to believe, and it makes me believe that it's all true. You know?"

"Can't say that I do." Raph replied honestly, completely and hopelessly lost.

She punched him lightly in the shoulder, "It was a rhetorical question!" Midori giggled for a moment before she went on, "Also, what I'm listening to…reflects how I'm feeling. I'm sure you can understand that."

Raphael nodded, he'd often found that when he listened to music, consciously or subconsciously what he chose was in fact a mirror of how he'd felt when he had making the selection.

He picked up the music player again and restarted the song, which until now he had been ignoring in favor of their conversation. He paused it immediately, before it could even start, and turned to Midori, with an almost nervous expression, and held out a three-fingered hand.

She looked up at him, quizzically, and he quietly voiced the question, "May I have this dance?"

Midori's eyes widened and her cheeks colored slightly before she took a timid step closer. Raph started the song again, put down the music player and stepped up to the human, placing a gentle hand on her hip, the other, grasping hers. For the first few moments they moved awkwardly to the music, but then they found the beat and clung to it, swaying gracefully. After a few moments, both of them let the music and lyrics surround them and embody the moment.

_If you hear a song in blue_

_Like a flower crying for the dew_

_That was my heart serenading you_

_My prelude to a kiss_

_And if you hear a song that grows_

_From my tender sentimental woes_

_That was my heart trying to compose_

_A prelude to a kiss_

For much of the first few verses Raphael and Midori's eyes never left each other. But finally, after the awkward tension faded, they began to move around more, turning as they swayed from foot to foot. Midori let go of one of his hands and spun around gently, so that she had her back to him and her arms crossed in front of her. She swayed like that for a couple of counts before unwinding, guiding Raph's arms gently. The turtle obviously hadn't had much experience in partner dancing, not that she expected him to, but he wasn't that bad for a first-timer.

_Though it's just a simple melody_

_With nothing fancy, nothing much_

_You could turn it to a symphony_

_A Schubert tune with a Gershwin touch_

_Oh, how my love song gently cries_

_For the tenderness within your eyes_

_My love is a prelude that never dies_

_A prelude to a kiss_

When the song reached an instrumental break Raphael took advantage of the moment and pulled her closer. Midori acquiesced and lay her head against his plastron, allowing him to lead her in their dance. All the while in her inner thoughts, she was panicking. _What is this? Why am I feeling this way?_ I don't know, _another part of her answered, but it feels wonderful…it feels right._

With a gentle sigh, the human teenager wrapped her arms around his neck as best she could, stroking his carapace softly. Midori tucked her head just under his and closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment.

Raph looked down at her, concernedly, for a moment before he placed his now free hand tentatively on her other hip. After a few moments he, too, closed his eyes, feeling Midori in his arms, and never wanting to let go. Since that first day they met, he had known that there was something different about the way he felt about her. Now it was blatantly clear.

There was only one place he felt truly happy. And it was here, with her, wherever she was, it was where he belonged. Goodness knows he'd do anything for her. Heck, he'd already done a lot. Yet it seemed that now at this moment, nothing was more important than the girl in his arms.

The red-masked turtle became aware, for the first time, the true depth of his feelings.

A human teenager, who for quite some time now, he had regarded as very close friend, had won his heart. Raph had no idea how it had happened, or when, or why, but she was it. _The one._ It seemed so surreal, and yet…so correct. Midori already understood him. She could read him better than anyone else ever had, even Casey or his brothers.

She had trained with him, fought with him, tended to his injuries, provided him with the latest word on the street, but more importantly than all of that…Midori had managed to do the one thing that even his Sensei had not been able to accomplish. Yamamoto Midori could take relieve him of his anger. She had done it before. And Raphael had no doubt that she would one day do it again.

_Though it's just a simple melody_

_With nothing fancy, nothing much_

_You could turn it to a symphony_

_A Schubert tune with a Gershwin touch_

_Oh, how my love song gently cries_

_For the tenderness within your eyes_

At the word eyes, Midori pulled herself closer to the turtle and clasped her hands behind his neck, allowing him to support some of her weight. Bright green eyes flicked open and stared down into her luscious honey-golden gaze. They remained locked in this position, both staring softly at the other.

_My love is a prelude that never dies_

Their sways began to slow, and as the music began to fade at the end of the phrase, they ceased movement entirely. The singer's voice rang through the room in the final line of her serenade.

_My prelude to a kiss_

Then, as final line was being sung, the mutant and the human began drawing closer to one another. As the final note tapered off, Raphael moved in, about to close the few inches of space that remained between them, when her hand shot out and held him back.

"Please." She whimpered, "Please don't."

Raph's eyes widened and he pulled back immediately, taking a few steps away to give her space.

"I'm sorry," Midori whispered, her voice hoarse and filled with confusion, nervousness and even slight fear. Fear that I caused. Raph thought sadly. I never meant to hurt her… Before he could say anything, she went on, "I just…I honestly don't know how to feel about this." She gestured to the space between them, her hands shaking with nervousness. "I mean how...? I—and you're a…"

Raphael's attractive green eyes dropped to the floor as his heart fell to the pit of his stomach. He mentally finished her sentence. _I'm a human and you're a mutant._ It'd never work. What was he thinking?! How could he ever believe that a human, especially one as beautiful as her would ever want him? He asked himself woefully. Then he looked at her and said lowly, "No." she looked up at him, and almost as though she could sense his hurt she reached out, but he pulled away. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I never should have…" his voice faded and silence was left to reign.

Midori, her head still in a whirl, and feeling slightly on edge due to the awkwardness of the situation suggested, "Maybe you should go."

Raphael nodded weakly, "Yeah, I think so." The ninja turtle was gone before Midori could even say goodbye, and for a moment it seemed as though all the warmth in the room went with him.

* * *

Raph returned to the lair almost exactly an hour after he'd left startling all three of his brothers, who were laying/sitting on the couches watching television. Leonardo shot up from his seat, but Raphael walked right past him, heading straight for his room. The hothead's door closed with a slam, as usual, and the three of them exchanged glances. Leonardo looked down at his seated younger brothers, with worry. "You think he's okay?"

Mikey looked down the hall towards Raph's door and frowned. "I don't know. But I'll talk to him."

Before his brothers could get a word in edgewise Michelangelo had bounded over to Raph's door. Just as he was about to knock he paused and pressed his ear against the door. Raph was…crying. Raphael doesn't cry often, but when he does, it's usually when something really bad has happened. And whenever he cried, he was so emotional, he was virtually inconsolable. With another frown, Mikey steered away from the hall and towards the dojo.

There was only one person Raphael trusted enough to comfort him when he was crying…

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't in anyway hold copyright to the song Prelude to a Kiss by Duke Ellington and Irving Gordon. I just used it in my fic. **

**Please Review! I appreciate it! :)**


	17. New Sheriff in Town

**Enjoy!**

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**Ch. 17-New Sheriff in Town**

"Leonardo, where is Raphael?" Master Splinter asked his eldest son, who was currently stretched out on the couch reading one of his 'Space Heroes' comic books.

The turtle's dark blue eyes moved up to meet his father's slowly, before answering automatically: "Last I knew he was still in his room, said he didn't want to watch a movie with us."

"How long ago was this my son?"

"Hm?" Leo murmured, not really listening, his mind still buried in the comic.

"Leonardo!"

Leo's attention snapped up and stared at the old rat questioningly. "Yes Father?"

"I asked how long ago you had that conversation with your brother."

The eldest turtle's eyes widened in realization, then he thought for a moment before answering, "Well, I guess it would have been four or five hours ago now."

Splinter's eyes closed and he stroked his beard in troubled thought, making Leo raise an eye-ridge.

"What is it, Sensei? Is something wrong?"

"Yes indeed my son. The last I saw of your brother was four hours ago."

"And?" Leo asked, turning back to his comic. Raphael retreating to his room for hours on end was nothing new. It was just something the hothead did whenever he needed some time to clear his mind.

"He is not in his room. Nor is he in the Lair." That got the forest green turtle's attention. He shot to his feet and stared up into his Father's dark brown eyes concernedly. "I perceive he didn't inform you of his intent to leave either."

"No, Sensei. Raph didn't tell me anything. I really thought he was still in his room. I don't see how he could have slipped past me…"

Master Splinter smiled slightly at Leonardo's words and said with a chuckle, "My son, the days when you read your 'Space Heroes' comics are often the days you are most distracted."

Leo rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess so Sensei. Do you want me to search for Raph?"

The old rat stroked his beard before shaking his head. "I fear that would not be wise. Whatever Raphael has gone to do it is obviously something he felt he could not do with us present. We must be patient and wait."

The youthful ninja leader sighed, rubbing a hand over his head in frustration and worry. "If only Raphael knew how many nights I'd spent waiting for him to come home."

"He knows my son. And the fact that you have almost always done so is part of what makes him keep returning to us, Leonardo."

Leo stared up at him, still a bit skeptical of his Father's words. "I don't think Raph cares that much, Sensei. If anything I think he hates the idea of me being leader.

"No matter what it may sometimes seem like, Leonardo, Raphael is not interested in being the leader. He merely wants to be heard my son. He has concerns as well. It is your automatic dismissal of Raphael as rash and hotheaded that create this tension between you. More importantly, my son, you must never forget that while Raphael may be your rival, he was first your brother."

Leo's eyes widened. "I didn't know he talked to you about this kind of stuff."

"He does not." Master Splinter looked down at his eldest's confused countenance and explained, "Raphael doesn't have to talk for me to know how he is feeling, Leonardo. When I was his age, your brother and I were much the same, that factor alone makes it easier for me to know how he thinks."

Leo stared at his father as though he'd grown a second head. "You were like…Raphael?!"

"Yes, my son. I was hot-headed, foolish, always eager to prove myself, to gain the acceptance of others. Your brother is no different. Once you understand Raphael, my son, then and only then will you be able to reach out and balance him. Until then, the only option, as I said before, is to sit here and wait."

Dark blue eyes narrowed as Leonardo attempted to wrap his mind around the concept his father had presented him with. He had thought he'd had his little brother pegged, but it seemed as though there was still more he didn't know. Raphael was right.

_We really don't understand, not until we finally comprehend his thinking pattern will we be able to understand. Though, I wonder if Raph knows that Sensei understands him. He must, otherwise he wouldn't let Master Splinter anywhere near him when he's crying. But of course father is the only one he'll allow near him when he's crying so…yeah. Well, looks like I'll be waiting for Raphael to come home…again. I just hope he isn't in over his head. If that idiot does anything stupid and gets himself hurt again, I swear I'm gonna shellac him._

* * *

It was an especially dark night in the Big Apple. The air was crisp and cool, the shadows of the buildings dark and foreboding.

The perfect night for a crime.

It had been two weeks and he still hadn't spoken with Midori, in fact Raphael found himself dreading it. So he avoided her altogether, and so far she hadn't even texted, called, or contacted him once. He decided it was wiser just to move on, and if Midori did still want to be friends, then he could consider it a pleasant surprise.

He had more urgent things on his mind.

Crime in the city had only gotten worse. His brothers were in over their heads. He still had a score to settle with the Foot Clan, his brothers were holding him back because they weren't willing to let him risk injury to achieve better results, and he wasn't about to break his promise to Midori either, friends or no, he'd made her a promise and he'd made her dead mother a promise and he was determined to keep them both.

_No matter what._

So, after much thought and deliberation, the hothead saw only one course of action that could keep his brothers busy, let him go after the Foot, and still be able to get Jade to fight alongside him.

Raph smirked from his place by the Ducati. His hands were covered in grease and he had dark smudges scattered on his arms, face and head. Well…He'd spent almost all his spare time over the last two weeks fixing her up, but at least the baby was back in tip-top condition. Engine looked good, though the hothead had still had to run to the nearest auto-wrecking yard to find some replacement parts. So, maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. Raphael had put her through some hard tests, several trial runs and finally a couple fresh coats of paint before he'd deemed the bike officially 'ready for action.' Though he'd originally wanted to keep it red, Raph decided that, for what he was planning to use it for, it would be safer to have a less noticeable color, like black. So now, the Ducati was black with silver pin striping and one thin, but distinct red racing stripe along the side and the tail. Sure, it wasn't red, but it looked pretty damn good!

But that wasn't even the best part. Raphael had been working on **it** all this past week. Gathering parts, scraps, sewing…That's right. The most badass turtle in New York City had been sewing. Sewing what you may ask? Hehe…

Of course that also brings up the question: how did a mutant turtle who lives in a sewer even learn how to sew anyway? But that, my friends, is a story for another day.

Originally he had planned for a majority of the plating to be made of metal, but fortunately he'd been lucky enough to find some large scraps of a more durable, yet extremely hard leather-looking material that was much lighter and more flexible. While scrounging in a military junkyard he found a pile of trashed bullet-proof vests and he picked through them, choosing the ones that were the least worn out. The vests he didn't use for the main body armor that were too worn down or thinner than the others, Raphael put to good use as a base covering for the arms and legs. He put a zipper down the middle of the front part of the suit so he could get it on and off with ease. The worn out utility belt, another lucky find in the military junkyard, was easily patched up and attached the snapping latch one of the last things he added. Just for extra security. After he'd successfully attached all the base coverings, he sewed on a thin, but dense black fabric that looked almost like woven polyester, over the entire thing, just to ensure that no one would be able to see through to the turtle underneath. Finally, after that had been completely dealt with, which must have been at least two days later, the hothead was finally able to secure the elbow and shoulder pads. Of course for these he used the scraps of leathery material he had found earlier.

In end the turtle decided that he would need a little bit of metal armor after all and he had spent the last two days finding pieces of light, yet incredibly hearty reinforced aluminum alloy. He added thin upper arm guards, and a front guard that looked like a harness which attached to his shell where he had installed metal plating made to look like some kind of high-tech backpack, a deceptive tactic the ninja hoped would make people believe that he was wearing some kind of special gear on his back. Lastly, he managed to construct a kind of metal framed and toed boot that would attach to metal shin guards he had added yesterday.

Pleased with himself, Raphael leaned back from where he'd been sitting hunched over his project, and admired his handiwork. _And they said Don was the creative one in the family_. At the moment the hothead was holed up in an old abandoned warehouse near the upper bay of the Hudson. His brothers would never find him here. (Not that they would even dare to come looking.)

There was just one thing he still needed…

Raphael dropped down into the dark store, heading straight for the back wall. He glanced at all the helmets on display, immediately veering towards the larger ones. The turtle reached out to grab one that was painted bright red, but halfway there his hand stilled. Then his eyes moved over to a helmet on the shelf directly above it. Bright green eyes narrowed for a moment before he reached up and grabbed a modular silver helmet that had angular sides with ridges, and a dark black visor. He picked it up and put it on his head, then glanced around. Good visibility, nice color that wouldn't give away his identity, and a hard, non-polished surface. Raph rapidly moved over to the counter, leaving the payment for the helmet behind, before he returned the way he'd come, helmet in hand. When he got back to his hideout, Raph grinned when he realized the helmet was the same color as the metal he'd used on the suit. The grin melted off his face and he knew it was time.

The hotheaded turtle slipped into the suit with relative ease. He zipped it up, then fastened both the belt and the chest strap. He gazed at himself in a large, cracked mirror that had probably been left in the warehouse long ago. The turtle turned around and smirked. I look awesome! He thought, and then his eyes fell upon the battered red mask on his face. With one hand the turtle reached up and pulled it off slowly. He stared down at the old, worn-out piece of red fabric in his hands before he placed it safely in a storage compartment he'd added onto his bike. It was small, and wouldn't be able to hold anything larger than a pair of sunglasses, but for the mask, it would be just fine. He folded up the mask and placed in carefully, making sure it didn't get caught when he closed the compartment.

Raph put on the helmet, but left the bottom part folded up as he looked himself over in the mirror one last time. Finally, he pulled down the visor and snapped the chin piece back into the rest of it.

"Criminals better watch their backs cause there's a new sheriff in town. And his name is Nightwatcher."

* * *

**So, for Raph's Nightwatcher outfit in this fic I made it a lot more simplistic because I'm kinda doing my own supposition that in this he's younger, so it's bound to be more crude, also he's making it himself so he wouldn't be able to make a total techno-suit looking thing like the one in the 2k7 movie. Please review! Tell me what you thought! I know this chapter is much shorter than some of the more recent ones, but I've got homework to do so...yeah guess I should get back to that...I would really like to know what you guys think! Thanks for reading! **

**P.S. Reviews are also serve as inspiration and motivation!**


	18. Meeting the Nightwatcher

**hey guys sorry its been so long, but I really had a lot on my plate and this chapter is really long, and there are things I wanted to get in it that didn't get in it. Like Jade meeting the Nightwatcher. Anyway, here you are. Midori meets the Nightwatcher, Leo worries, Master Splinter is curious as to his second son's behavior and Michelangelo knows all (or at least thinks he does). Enjoy! Review please!**

* * *

**Ch. 18-Meeting the Nightwatcher**

Midori sat on the couch in her uncle's apartment staring blankly at the television as the protagonist chased some criminal through the streets, loud action-themed move music played in the background. It had been a week since the 'Raphael incident' and she still couldn't stop thinking about him. Then again, with her uncle's return continuously being pushed back in order to expand the Japanese branch of the company, there was little else for her to think about.

_I mean, most girls would be happy to find out a guy is interested in them. Heck, a lot of girls wouldn't resist it if a guy tried to kiss them…but what do I do? I send him away and try to lose myself in crumby action flicks and junk food! _

Midori leaned over until she fell on her side. Her body hit the couch cushions with a soft thud. She sighed. Honey-colored eyes stared forward at the wall, her mind lost in thought once more.

_So he tries to kiss you and what do you? Push him away. And in the process lose your best friend, who just happens to be one of the nicest guys you've ever met._

_Well maybe I'm just not ready for a relationship right now._

_So then you tell him you just want to be friends, you idiot! If you don't you'll lose the guy forever, at least, that's assuming you haven't already. _

_Raph wouldn't run off just because I pushed him away. He'll come back, he'll be willing to listen. _

_Of course he'll come back. But he won't unless you reach out to him. So call him. It's not like things could get any worse._

Just as Midori was thinking it over a news report snapped on and a speaker announced:

"We interrupt this program to bring you this special bulletin." Midori fumbled to pull the remote from the space between the cushions and turned up the volume. "This just in: In an alleyway in the lower-Manhattan district an attempted robbery was stopped, once again, by a mysterious vigilante. A witness claims that the assailant was struck down by a dark figure wearing some kind of strange battle-armor and chained to a streetlight. This illustrious hero was reported to have been between 5'4'' and 5'7'', wearing a silver motorcycle helmet with a black visor. The question then becomes: who is this strange masked madman and will we see any more of him in the near future? This is Carlos Chang O'Brien saying: keep your eyes peeled!"

The television went back to the movie and Midori's eyes narrowed. She pressed the off button on the remote and the screen went dark. Slowly, she stood, her long off-black hair tied in a low ponytail as it swished softly behind her. The nimble young woman clambered swiftly up the stairs, into her room. She pulled on a tan leather jacket, and put a couple shuriken and a small switchblade in her pockets. Silently, she crept out the window and jumped the side of the fire escape landing softly on the ground below.

Midori glanced both ways down the alley, unable to shake off the feeling that she was being watched. She pointedly ignored the fact that she wasn't exactly wearing the right outfit for this, considering all she was currently wearing, other than underclothes, was a rather revealing white halter tank top, army green harem-style sport capris, and red sneakers. And the leather jacket of course. Instead of taking the Ninja, which she had first been apt to do, Midori decided she needed to go for a walk.

As she walked with her hands in her pockets, her mind drifted back to Raphael, and minutes later, she found herself standing in front of the very manhole cover they'd used when she'd helped him down into the sewers after he was wounded. She bent down and began lifting it, before indecision filled her head and she gently lowered it back into place. There was a soft shuffle behind her and she spun around, her eyes wide. What she saw made her shoulders droop as she found herself flooded with a feeling of extreme annoyance.

"Yeah, great job Midori, your senses are about as fine-tuned as a bad actress in stupid horror film." She muttered to herself. The little yellow alley-cat stared up at her, licking its paw nonchalantly. "Hey Puss, you seen any five foot talking turtles lately?" she asked, her tone cynical. Midori rolled her eyes and sighed. The feline glanced up at her one last time before running off down the alley. "Didn't think so." She said sarcastically. Then she proceeded on, sparing one last glance at the manhole cover before turning the corner.

A shiver ran down her spine. Winter was almost upon them, and yet the city was still waiting for the first good snow of the season. Midori's breath came out in warm puffs, her cheeks and nose growing slightly flushed from the sudden onslaught of cold. Still, she pressed onward, wandering on through the heavy maze of streets, but always keeping in mind the return route. About seven blocks down Bleaker, her senses where certain she was being followed. _Since whoever-it-is obviously is following directly behind me, they must have some idea where I'm headed._ At that moment, she looked up and focused in on some four-story apartment buildings with fire escapes and a rooftop awning. The realization hit her and she smirked. _Or…he's keeping tabs on me from a bird's eye view. _

Midori walked rapidly across the street, and turned back just fast enough to catch a glimpse of an armored figure. Fast as she could she sprinted into an alley adjacent to the building he'd been on. She jumped on top of a dumpster and from there swung herself onto the platform of a fire escape.

Now, being a trained kunoichi, Midori was fast and mobile, but the cold weather, coupled with the fact that she'd spent the last couple days sitting depressed in front of the television eating junk food, made it far too difficult for her to contend. She knew that by the time she got up there, her mysterious observer would be long gone.

Therefore you can probably imagine her surprise when she saw the strange figure standing not two roof-tops away, staring back at her over his shoulder. Her eyes glanced him up and down for a moment, searchingly. Silver helmet, black suit, with a light, yet seemingly durable metal protective plating. Wait a minute…silver helmet with a black visor. He's the vigilante they were talking about on television. _But why is he following me? _

Seconds passed and the vigilante was still turned towards her, neither of them making a move. Then, as if jolted from a trance, he began making a run for it. Golden eyes narrowed with determination as Midori shot off after him.

It wasn't until she'd been chasing him for almost fifteen minutes that she realized it was exactly what he wanted.

The vigilante led her down a dark alley towards the warehouse district where he disappeared, probably hiding behind something. Midori ground to a halt and called out: "Hey you!" There was no reply, but she could hear the soft whirr of his breath behind the helmet. Whoever this guy was, he had very quiet breathing. "I know you're there!" Again there was no reply and her hand shakily drew the switch. Her thumb pressed softly down, releasing the blade with a quiet flick. A shadow behind a dumpster further up the alley drew her attention and Midori inched forward cautiously. Finally when she was almost a foot away she rushed around, "Why are you following me?!" She yelled forcefully, but her arms fell to her sides when she realized he was gone. Any normal individual would have immediately looked around, but being a kunoichi Midori's first instinct was to look up. As she did so, she caught just a glimpse of a black-clad heel. Instead of pursuing him, she sheathed the switch-blade and a small smile flickered across her face. "Impressive." She murmured lowly before turning and sauntering slowly back the way she'd come.

Nightwatcher smirked.

* * *

**The next night…**Two voices echoed down the sewer tunnels near the Turtles' lair.

"Raph, where are you going now?!"

"Out. I'll be back in a couple hours don't wait up."

"Wait, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

"Nope, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Sigh, "Just be careful."

Raphael held up his hands and lowered his eyes at his older brother's stern expression, "Look Leo, just chill. I'll be back by twelve okay?"

"Make certain of that."

"Geez I already said I would, just relax."

Leonardo gave his brother a sideways glance and a teasing ghost of a smile, "Easier said than done when it comes to your late night excursions." He rubbed his younger brother's bald head affectionately, and the red-clad turtle growled and swung a playful fist at him. Leo chuckled and Raph smiled. Leo didn't laugh nearly enough.

The metal door of the warehouse clattered noisily as it rolled up. The bike's lights snapped on, and its engine purred deep and strong. Nightwatcher smiled behind his helmet, tightening his grip on the handles. The smile broke out into a full blown laugh as he raced through crowded streets and real New York traffic. The whistling wind and the sound of his 'baby's' engine roaring beneath him made his neon green eyes flash with mischief. He gunned it, the beautiful black motor shot forward as he weaved masterfully through the traffic. When he reached a more secluded, peaceful district Raph popped a wheelie.

Two hours later he had done his share of good deeds for the night and was going to head back to the lair when he saw the time. He'd put his mask into compartment he'd installed in the motorcycle along with his t-phone. When he realized he still had an hour or more to spend before he went back. It had been a great night and the turtle was now pumped with adrenaline and ready for some real action.

As he passed the docks, his eyes caught a dark, shadowy form moving and he coasted to a stop, shifting into reverse and backing up slowly. _Well, well, well, if it isn't a Foot._ _Wonder if there's any more of them around…_his eyes caught three more._ Bingo, looks like I hit the jackpot. _As he drove over it occurred to him that nice as it was having a beautiful, roaring engine, in his line of…interest it might be better to modify it to be as quiet as possible. He rolled in slowly and parked the Ducati in a dark alley a good ways out of hearing distance.

_When I get home I'm going to have to come up with a name for this little beauty._ He thought before he hopped off and proceeded towards the docks. The vigilante climbed up a stack of crates so that he could look down on the operation and decide whether or not he could take them himself.

See, despite what his older brother thought, Raphael did think before he jumped into battle. There was a lot more to him than met the eye, which was part of the reason why he got so mad when his brothers criticized him for being the way he was. Because they didn't know the half of it. He was a lot smarter than they gave him credit for and he didn't appreciate being treated like he was the dumb one, especially by Donatello. Sure he and Leo had a rivalry that created many problems within their family, but if nothing cut Raph to the quick like Donatello treating him like he was the most clueless muscle-brained guy in all existence. I know I'm not the brightest guy in the world, but I'm a lot smarter than they think. And this will prove it.

While in his Nightwatcher persona Raphael took care not to act like himself, because if he made one little slip, and his brothers found out…well he might as well never go topside again. Shell, if Leo found out the resulting lecture would be…just imagining it made the tough turtle shudder in horror. And Master Splinter…it's not even worth discussing. Let's just say he'd probably never be allowed topside unchaperoned again, if at all.

Raph carefully planned his course of action and was about to jump in when someone started shouting and he caught himself just in time. Immediately his head shot up in the direction that he believed was the source of the voice and he realized there was another figure he hadn't registered the first time. Damn. The guy was standing just far enough in the walkway between containers that he couldn't see his face. Just a big shadowy outline. Dang it. So much for getting some work done tonight. After all, he'd told Leo he'd be careful, and all things considered it was good of his older brother to let him go in the first place…Leo said to be careful, but he didn't say I couldn't get in over my head. As long as I'm careful about it….He thought and a smirk crossed his face.

Because he was outnumbered almost three to one, and he had no idea how good this mystery dude was, he decided to play it safe (yes a rare thing for him) and opted for a stealth tactic. One by one he used his manriki to catch the Footbots off their guard and pull them into the shadows where he could finish them off. Then when he ran out of easy grabs he turned to the ones carrying boxes, which he assumed contained smuggled items.

As soon as he realized at least half his cronies had been defeated, the strange shadowy figure gave the order to attack.

Raphael's spot in the shadows was now compromised and he flung himself into the open, taking down the robots using every ounce of street-fighting he had in him. Raph growled, he desperately wanted to use ninjitsu, but there was always a chance that his style would be recognized and that would put him straight out of business as a vigilante. After all, as far as he was concerned, a fighting style is like a fingerprint.

By the time Raphael finished, the mysterious guy in charge had fled the scene and the turtle was left alone with a pile of dismembered Foot bots. He cursed when he realized the bird had flown. _Great, Leo's gonna kill me when I tell him about this one…_

* * *

"Raphael! You engaged them in battle, took them down and then let the guy get away?!"

"I didn't let him get away Leo. He ran while I was fighting the robots."

Leo gave him a bland stare. Oh, if words could only express how much Raph hated that look… "Don't give me that look. I did the best I could. I hate it when you look at me like that Leo!"

"Good that means its working." Raph glared at the eldest, but Leo went on, "And obviously you didn't do the best you could because the best thing you could've done was call us."

"Leonardo." The eldest turtle ceased his angry tirade and turned to their father who had just emerged from the dojo. "If Raphael believes he did his best, then so be it. While there were many other options he could have chosen, he chose the one he thought best. Do not berate him for something that is already over and done with."

"Hai Sensei."

Splinter nodded and then turned to question his son when a sound of complaint came from the couch and the three of them glanced down at Michelangelo and Donatello.

"Dudes, they're interrupting my show!" the youngest said.

Raph, Leo, Splinter, Don and Mikey all watched as the television flashed a special news bulletin.

"_Citizens of New York, could heroes no longer be a thing of fantasy and fiction?"_

Leo, Mikey and Don looked at each other, but Raph's gaze remained glued to the television.

"_This just in, the strange vigilante has struck again. This time five separate reports of a black-armored figure with a silver helmet have been filed, each of them reporting the strange man swept in and saved their lives before vanishing into the shadows. And it seems as though there is now a name to go with the description. According to the testimony of several would-be crime victims, this mysterious figure is calling himself…the Nightwatcher. This is Carlos Chang O'Brien signing off."_

"Whoa! Our own New York vigilante! Nightwatcher…" Mikey echoed in awe before his eyes lit up, "Dude that is an awesome name! Even I couldn't have named him better than that! That's epic, bros!"

Raphael fought the urge to smile. But then Leo turned back to him.

"You think this Nightwatcher could be the guy you saw working for the Foot on the docks?"

"What? No!" Raph could feel his frustration building and he had to hold himself back. "Leo, Nightwatcher could not have been the mystery freak!"

Mikey jumped in with Raph, " Yeah, they said Nightwatcher's the good guy."

Leo's eyes narrowed and he ignored Mikey's comment. "Well why not? You said you never clearly saw him."

"No I didn't see the guy at the docks…"

"Then how would you know?"

Raph's eyes narrowed. He knew this would be a risk, but it was one he'd have to take regardless. "I may not have seen the guy ordering the Foot around…but—"

"But what?"

"I've seen Nightwatcher. I know what he looks like and that guy wasn't him."

Everyone stared.

"What?!" Leo, Mikey and Donnie said all at once.

"When I was out I caught a glimpse of him fighting some street hustlers…He was big and muscular. Whoever's under that suit is real hardcore. That stuff looks like it weighs a ton. Black armor, heavy duty, and bullet-proof. Wears a silver motorcycle helmet and wields these really funky manriki-style weighted chains, they were pretty cool; I wouldn't mind learning how to work with those myself." He said with a grin.

Master Splinter frowned and stroked his beard. "Did you recognize his fighting style, my son?"

"No Sensei. It was obvious that he had some knowledge of ninjitsu, but for the most part he was simply street-fighting."

"Hm. I think it would be wise for the four of you to gather more information on this Nightwatcher, and keep an eye out for this strange Foot figure as well. But I believe it would be wiser for you to wait until tomorrow night. I sense this 'vigilante' will act only at night. Raphael, since you have seen him you will be indispensable to your brothers' search. Be sure you aid them in any way you can."

"Hai Sensei." Raph replied with a small nod which his father returned. "But this vigilante isn't…I think what I'm trying to say is that he's on our side, same as Jade. I think we should tread carefully. I understand these guys, Sensei, I know how they think, how they feel. Please, just let me approach them first. I bet I can find out what they want, just let me handle it alone."

"Raphael…"

"Sensei, I can handle it. I know you don't want us to reveal ourselves, but I have a plan."

The rat glanced at his second son with a thoughtful expression on his face. Normally he would have told his hot-headed son to consult his older brother, but right now Raphael seemed incredibly calm and rational, which made Splinter consider the offer carefully. "Alright Raphael. I will allow you one week to investigate this on your own and deal with it in your own manner."

Leo stared. "But Sensei—!"

"The decision has been made Leonardo."

"Hai Sensei. But I don't understand how we're supposed to function as a team if Raph is always off on his own!"

"I'm doing my part to protect this family, Leo. Just like you do yours." Raph's green eyes flared and Splinter began to reconsider his decision.

"Raphael!" The second sibling snapped to attention. "Do not make me regret my decision." The anger vanished from Raphael's eyes faster than sugar in water. Splinter raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be making great strides in controlling your anger Raphael."

"Anything's easier with the right motivation." He replied without pause, and his father turned to him with surprised eyes.

His brothers also seemed to be slightly surprised by the strange rationality of Raphael's reply.

"Indeed, very true. Wise words Raphael."

"Thank you, Sensei."

"Are you feeling alright, my son?" The rat asked, still slightly skeptical.

Raph smiled. "Never better Father." Before his brothers could question him any further Raphael was gone. And instead of the usual slamming, his door shut behind him with a quiet click.

Leo and Don exchanged worried glances.

Michelangelo smiled mischievously, his expression all-knowing.

* * *

**Review Please!**


	19. Just to be Close to You

**Hey guys, heads-up! This chapter is Jade and Nightwatcher. Raph and Midori finally meeting again, and Shredder's guys begin to close in. But don't worry next chapter Jade (not Midori) will meet Raph's brothers! I'm so excited!**

* * *

**Ch. 19-Just to be Close to You**

It had been two weeks since the appearance of the strange, anonymous Foot Gang Lieutenant. Since then the Nightwatcher had busted eighteen Foot Shipments. And Shredder, needless to say, was not happy…

"I gave you a job to do. When I brought you to this country I had assumed that you would make fine work of the Foot's Smuggling operations, but as of yet you have been working on this project for years, and your smuggling ring has only just gotten started."

"I had to establish connections first Master Shredder. The ring would be flourishing my lord, were it not been for the interference of this Nightwatcher." Shredder growled, his throne chair turned away from his addresser. His fist hit the arm of the chair and his gauntlet blades flashed. The masked lieutenant hurried and went on, "He has broken up eighteen of our shipments in the past two weeks. And the other vigilante, Jade, is continuing to meddle in our affairs."

"Spread this message to all the Clan. That I am prepared to offer a reward to anyone who can bring me the Nightwatcher. Alive. I want the pleasure of disposing of him myself. As for the girl, kill her. She has outlived her usefulness. Bring her body to me. Her mother was practically sister to Hamato Yoshi, knowing both she and her daughter are dead will make him suffer."

"With pleasure my Lord." The big man smiled behind his mask. Then he added after a thought, "But the girl has a strong connection to one of the turtles. Shouldn't we use that to our advantage?"

"No, Dragon. Once we have the Nightwatcher, the other turtles will come to us." Shedder smiled maniacally.

'Dragon' looked up, waiting for his leader to explain. Shredder held up a small computer chip. "This footage the Foot Bots provided of the last encounter have revealed that one of the turtles and the Nightwatcher are one in the same."

"But which one, Lord Saki?"

Another grin, equally sinister. "The only one with enough gall to think he could pull off such a scheme and get away with it." He paused and went on reflecting, "When I first battled them, I saw the anger in his eyes. His anger makes him stronger, but he doesn't use it to the fullest capacity. That makes him weak. It is undoubtedly a weakness which the rat, whom he calls Father, has instilled in him. If your anger serves you well, you should be able to defeat him easily."

"And the girl?" the crony asked.

"Bring me the Nightwatcher. Then you may take care of the girl in whatever way you see fit."

The masked figure nodded, and gave a small bow before vanishing in the darkness.

He had a quarry to hunt.

* * *

The Nightwatcher was making some late-night rounds. Though, unfortunately there was very little activity on the streets that night. Then some movement caught his eye. He jumped over a couple roof-tops closer and confirmed what he thought had been some kind of optical illusion. There were people moving around on the upper stories of a condemned site that if he remembered correctly was about to be torn down. As he drew closer, the turtle was so focused on his approach that he didn't sense the figure coming up from behind him. Then a shuffle of quiet feet had the vigilante whirling around catching his follower's arms behind their back and holding them there.

"Why are you following me?" He growled low and menacingly.

"You've been muscling in on my franchise and I wanna know why." The female voice snarled back at him. He immediately released Jade and she lashed out, throwing a high-kick at his face.

He grabbed it with one gloved hand and held it there. "Isn't that none of your business?"

The female vigilante struggled, but she sensed that she wouldn't be able to free her foot without catching him off guard. "It's my business if you start trying to stop me."

"It should be pretty obvious that I ain't, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered having a nice cool conversation with ya." He answered, doing his best to disguise his voice by making it deeper and adding a thick Brooklyn accent.

"That's not necessarily true." The female vigilante replied.

"It is the truth though. I'm just looking out for ya. Protecting yur best interests."

"How would you know what my best interests are, Nightwatcher?" This time when she tried to pull her leg away from his grasp the turtle let go and the sudden loss of resistance sent her tumbling down on her bottom.

"So you do know my name. I was beginning to wonder." Raph said, masterfully keeping himself from laughing, though he couldn't disguise the absolute mirth in his voice.

"It's hard not to. Your picture has been plastered all over the internet and news reels."

"So you're…Amethyst was it?" Raph teased, knowing it would annoy her.

Midori's eyes narrowed in annoyance behind her visor. _Who did this guy think he was? Stupid stuck-up punk!_ "Jade."

"Same thing."

"No it isn't." Then she let out a sigh, "Look, I don't appreciate you meddling in my affairs. So just quit while you're ahead." She started to walk away when a hand caught her wrist.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I'll deal with you the same way I do all my other enemies."

Raph smirked and took advantage of the opportunity. "Funny, pretty little thing like you, wouldn't think you'd have too many."

Midori's eyes narrowed behind her visor. "Watch it punk. You're getting dangerously close to a sock in the jaw."

Raphael smiled happy to see that she was still spunky as ever. But that wasn't quite enough for him, so he went on. "Like to see ya try. No offense, but I think yur just a little on the small side, short stuff."

Jade wheeled around on him and threw a punch, which the ninja blocked expertly. "What was that?!"

"I think you heard perfectly well, darling."

The female vigilante actually growled at him and continued her onslaught. Every blow perfectly avoided and blocked by the masked turtle. Working with Midori had given him an edge and he could predict her movements marginally well.

Suddenly the Nightwatcher turned his head and his eyes immediately focused on the constructions site he'd noticed earlier. "Foot Soldiers?" he said out-loud, and when Jade realized it wasn't a ploy to distract her she too looked over.

She made a noise of agreement. "I'm going over there and don't bother coming after me."

"Oh I'm going, whether you like it or not. I hate the Foot just as much as you do and I'm not about to let them get away." Raph pushed her to the side gently with the back of his gloved hand, and he could feel her glaring at his back. "So, you wanna tag-team it?"

"I wouldn't fight with you if you were the last thing on the face of this planet."

"Touché, but yur gonna need some kind of backup."

"No I won't."

"Yes you will. The Foot have started carrying guns and I have no doubt there's at least three of them in there. So you can either accept my services, or I can take care of it myself without your help, in which case I have no doubt you'd jump in anyway and we'd both mess each other up. So let's put the rivalry aside for the time being and work together."

Midori's eyes narrowed but she had to admit, Nightwatcher had a point. "Fine."

The two of them approached, Nightwatcher pointed towards an old broken window where there was a hole large enough for Jade to slip through. He lowered her in gently before circling around the building to where he found an open window he could jump through. The vigilante could see Jade on the other side of the room and he gestured for her to join him. Albeit reluctantly the female vigilante was quickly at his side about to speak when he put an arm in front of her pushing her back against the wall and gesturing her to listen.

Midori breathed as silently as she could behind the mask and listened intently. Someone or something was rapidly approaching the door. She tensed as she saw that Nightwatcher was pulling out some sort of chain-like weapon. Funny it resembled a giant manriki. Interesting. She too, drew her jitte and for a moment she could have sworn that the vigilante pushed her behind him as the door creaked open. Footsteps followed and then absolute silence.

Then in a flash Nightwatcher kicked the door, and barreled into it. He slammed it closed with his shoulder but the Foot bots were pushing back vigorously. The hand of one of them was still inside the room and was holding a gun. Jade stabbed its hand with a jitte and twisted it until it came off and Nightwatcher pushed the door closed, Jade grabbed one of his chains and tied the door shut, sealing them off. They turned around, only for about a dozen Foot bots to break in through the windows surrounding them.

Raph looked around noting which ones had guns and which ones didn't. He then paused for a brief moment, staying absolutely still, and the room was still. Everyone was waiting for someone else to make the first move. Nightwatcher became a blur as he finally lashed out, throwing Jade back towards the wall and out of the fray. He struck, using his chain to yank the hand of one of the gun-bearing Foot bots. That bot ended up shooting one of the others and so on so forth, but what the vigilante did not see was the robot coming up directly behind him. With a gun.

Suddenly a jitte flew past him from the front, stabbing the looming figure straight through the head. He turned around slowly and looked down at the ground. His eyes fell on the downed Foot bot and slowly bent down and yanked the jitte from its head. Raph spun it lightly and tossed it back to Jade handle-first. "Thanks, brat."

Those words struck a chord inside of Midori and she froze, the jitte hitting the floor noisily as another wave of Foot soldiers appeared. As they charged her she crouched down and swept out one leg, knocking them down on the ground, where she could grab the weapon and stab them.

A Foot bot with a gun appeared behind her, and she whipped around her eyes widened, and she froze. Raphael didn't think he just hurled himself between them.

The shot echoed through the broken down building and Jade went straight for the gun, grabbing it and shooting the robot in the head. She was by Nightwatcher's side in seconds, frantically examining the upper-left side of his chest.

He pushed her away and flung his chain out behind her, pulling down yet another robotic soldier. After a few more minutes all the bots were down and Jade turned to him.

Midori had watched the vigilante's fighting style carefully, but it wasn't until the battle had ended and Nightwatcher's shoulders drooped that suspicions were confirmed. Nightwatcher let out a pained grunt as he pressed a palm against the upper left of his chest.

Jade stared. Midori would recognize that sound anywhere. She'd heard it often enough. The realization slowly sunk in.

Then, all at once she leaped at Nightwatcher as he turned to face her, pulling herself so close so that she could whisper to him, despite the their helmets. "Meet me at my place. We need to talk."

"Only one problem with that. Where do you-"

"I think the jig is up." The male vigilante stiffened and Midori knew she was right. All of a sudden he pushed her away gently and began heading for the window. "And Nightwatcher." His silver helmet turned towards her, "Ditch the suit." The male vigilante nodded and was about to jump out the window, but he paused. Air swept into the room through the broken windows and a shiver ran down Jade's spine. "Though, if it's any consolation…I think you look better without the costume."

Nightwatcher turned to face her, before back-flipping out of the window and into the night.

* * *

**Later that evening…**

Raphael and Midori met as themselves for the first time in weeks. She had insisted on going for a walk, despite the turtle's protest and because of his…well… 'looks' the two of them couldn't just walk the surface streets. So the pair of them were now walking side by side down the dark back alleys, the turtle completely on edge all the time. Suddenly Midori stopped him and examined the upper left hand side of his plastron there was a deep indent, she rubbed it gently with her thumb, not missing the way Raphael stiffened, wincing slightly.

"You could have been killed."

"Then I would have died for a good cause."

"That bullet should have gone straight through."

"The under part of the suit is made of old bullet-proof vests."

Her gorgeous amber eyes met his neon green ones sternly. "You should have told me you were going vigilante." She said quietly.

"I thought you'd never want to see me again, so I did the only thing I could think of to stay close—I mean to keep a watchful eye on you." A long silence spread between them and Midori changed the subject before things got awkward.

Midori looked around, taking in her surroundings. "I really need to walk these alleys more often. Get to know my way around."

"Absolutely not." Raph growled. "This is a bad part of town. I don't want you walking anywhere near here in the daytime when I'm not around." Midori smiled.

_Good ol' Raph. Always got your back. Hmm…_

* * *

**_Flashback…_**

Midori's mother was telling her stories about her 'uncle Yoshi.' The little girl with long black hair listened intently.

"I never had to worry about enemies or undesirable attention. As we always used to say when we were little: Hamato Yoshi will always have your back."

* * *

**End Flashback...**

_My mother always used to say that she loved him very much. I suppose our family and the Hamato clan are destined to remain intertwined._

From the rooftops above, the 'Dragon' watched and followed them, observing his prey carefully, preparing to strike.


	20. Raphael's Depressing Dilemma

**Hey guys, I know I said the turtles would meet Midori this chapter, but that chapter is just turning out to be more and more massive and complex than I ever could have imagined. Therefore, in order not to lose your interest, (assuming I haven't already) I am giving you this super cute (and Sad) filler chapter! Yay! Sorry about the delay guys!**

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**Ch. 20-Raphael's Depressing Dilemma**

"Hey Don, ever heard of a singer called Billie Holiday?"

Don paused for a moment, and thought about it. "Jazz singer wasn't she?"

Raph nodded.

"I must have heard her name somewhere, but that's about all I know. Wanna use the laptop?"

"You can even look it up if you want, I just wanna hear some of her stuff that's all."

Donnie looked up at him for a moment and paused. Then the genius went over to his computer and typed it in the search bar. A few seconds later, he'd found a playlist and clicked on it. As the songs played, one after the other, Raphael just sat there. He had his arms crossed in front of him, his head resting on them gently as he focused intently on the music.

Donatello was slightly nervous. He'd never seen Raph look so far gone before. He pondered turning the music off, but after taking a good long look at the hothead he decided not to. He didn't want to make Raph even more upset…

The songs shifted from happy to sad, jazz to blues, and so on and so forth. Don took note of the fact that every time a happy, or upbeat tune came on, his immediate older brother would frown deeply and scowl at the screen. Finally, when the player reached a song about 'laughing at life' the hothead sat up and angrily, but controlling his force, pressed the 'next' button. The intro to the next song was sad, but Raph still had his finger ready to click the next button if need be. He was about to skip it when the singer began:

**(Raphael's POV)**

_I'm a fool to want you_

At that first line my hand fell away and I stared at the computer, listening to the lyrics intently.

_I'm a fool to want you_

_To want a love that can't be true_

_A love that's there for others too_

_I'm a fool to hold you_

_Such a fool to hold you_

_To seek a kiss not mine alone_

_To share a kiss that Devil has known_

While I can't say I identify with her situation, I mean having a lover who's unfaithful must be rough, but I can definitely say I know how she feels. Guess we both fell for someone we absolutely can't have.

_Time and time again I said I'd leave you_

_Time and time again I went away_

_But then would come the time when I would need you_

_And once again these words I had to say_

Strangely enough, I can't picture not having Midori. Especially now that we've gotten so close…I really hope my stupid mistake won't end up splitting us apart. Even if she doesn't like me back…at least we'll still have our friendship.

_I'm a fool to want you_

_Pity me, I need you_

_I know it's wrong, it must be wrong_

_But right or wrong I can't get along_

_Without you_

_I can't get along_

_Without you_

**(Third Person POV)**

The music faded away and Raph closed the tab and stood up, glancing over at Donatello, who had resumed work on…something or other, and Donnie looked up. "All done?"

"Yeah, that's all I needed. Thanks Don." He muttered before he wandered out the lab door.

Don watched him leave, stunned. _Raph just thanked me. Like it was nothing. He didn't make a big deal of it, or anything. _Donatello frowned. _Something is definitely wrong. _ He thought, slightly concerned. _I am going to find out what's going on, Raphael. I won't stand for this behavior any longer. I've had enough._

**The Next Day…**

Leo, Mikey, and Don were at the lair. Raphael was out…again. The sound of a t-phone receiving a text message caught their attention and they glanced around. All three of them checked their phones but it hadn't come from any of theirs. Finally Leonardo pinpointed that it was coming from the couch. He dug into the crevasses between the couch cushions.

'Hey, you, wanna come out and play? –M' was the message on the screen and Leo's eye-ridges furrowed.

The phone dinged again in Leo's hand, surprising him and making him jump. 'Yoo-hoo? Yo hothead you there? –M'

'I bet you forgot to take your stupid cell phone with you again. You are such an idiot sometimes, reptile. Bet you won't see these messages till way too late...guess I'm on my own. –M'

"Who's M?" Leo asked, regarding his younger brothers quizzically.

Mikey shrugged, "Don't look at me, bro, I may be an M but it sure wasn't me who sent those messages."

Leonardo's eyes narrowed fractionally, and a sound came from the Lair entrance. Raph entered and Leo stared him down, making him shift uncomfortably. The hot-head held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, I give, what did I do?"

Leo showed Raph the phone and the turtle turned a different shade of green. "Who is M?"

Then bright green eyes narrowed. "Must be a wrong number." _A little to quick a reaction for Leo's taste._

"You're lying. The person calls you hothead and reptile, obviously this person knows exactly who and what you are!"

Raphael tensed, "And what if they do? They can be trusted."

"How can you be so sure, Raph? All they have to do is convince a team of spectators to come down and find us!"

Raph rolled his bright green eyes. "She'd never do that to me fearless! Now lay off! And hand over my t-phone!"

"She? All this is about a girl?!"

The red-clad turtle's neon eyes were on fire. "She's not just a girl!"

"Oh yeah, then what else is she?" Leo asked stepping purposely into his brother's space.

"Lay off Leo! I'm warning you!"

"Tell me the truth!"

"Hamato Leonardo I said lay off!" Raphael grabbed his brother's arm forcefully, the blue clad turtle staring at him wide-eyed. When he realized exactly what he was doing, the hotheaded sibling released his older brother, scowling with all his might. "Don't push me Fearless." He growled, making Leo literally stare. The ninja leader had never heard his brother use a tone so bitterly cold, even towards him.

Leo exchanged glances with Mikey and Don as Raphael stormed off to his room.

_Something is going on. And we're gonna find out what. _

**Later that night…**

Raphael sat in his room, still fuming over the confrontation he had just had with Lame-o-nardo. He thought about going to Midori's place...er her uncle's place. Wherever Midori was staying, that was her place. And she made it that way. If he were honest with himself, Raphael would even admit that there was nowhere in world he felt more at ease, or more welcomed. Even above ground, out of the sewers he'd become so accustomed to, he could always find a sense of peace and tranquility there.

He thought back to a night a couple of weeks ago…

Once when he had gone to visit her, she wasn't home yet, and he had amused himself by crawling in the window and having a look around. Even without her physical presence there was so much there that reminded him of her...he could be at ease. The room even smelt like her, a mixture of honey, flower petal and freshly cleaned clothes. Then he had found himself looking around at the room's contents themselves. The furniture, as he had previously noted, was lavish and if it was any indication of the rest of the apartment, must have cost a fortune. Raph's face fell. This is where a girl like Midori belonged. _Surrounded by beautiful expensive things, living a life of luxury. Goodness knows, she deserves it_. He thought. Oh who am I kidding. We come from totally different worlds. She belongs here. Not with me. What could I possibly have to offer her? _Me, a hotheaded turtle who lives in the sewer? How could I have ever even thought I'd have a chance? Come on, Raph. It's time to face the music. She's...perfect and you're a good for nothing freak! She'll never want_ _you, so you might as well give her up and stop wasting her time! ...but how can I? I...want her to want me. But she never will, so might as well give up! No, she's so special. She's different. But all humans are the same!_ His mind differed. But the beating of his heart as he thought about her stirred up memories of their time together, no matter how insignificant it might have been. _I can't give her up. Midori is so wonderful, I refuse to let her go. Even if she does break my heart, at least I can spend time with her, I don't care if I end up having to watch her from afar. At least I'll be able to see her._

_I love her, after all._

* * *

**I do not own this song. I'm a Fool, performed by Billie Holiday. I just couldn't resist using it. **


	21. New KataShow OffTraumatized

**Hey guys you might notice this chapter has two (er, three) titles and that's because it was meant to be two (three) separate chapters but I threw it all into one. So enjoy! And please review this chapter gets very intense as we approach a pivotal moment in the story, so tell me what you think! Thanks!**

* * *

**Ch. 21-Raph's New Kata/Show Off/Traumatized**

A Foot minion's head slammed into the side of a concrete building with a thunk, a large, black clad figure with a silver helmet towering over him. "Who are you working for? What's the name of Shredder's new assistant?!" He yelled viciously. For this Foot Soldier was not a robot, but a real human being.

Nightwatcher hoisted the soldier up by the neck and pressed him hard against the building. "Tell me his name." He ground out ruthlessly.

"D-Dragon. His name is Dragon." And just like that, the terrified and injured soldier completely passed out.

With a growl Raphael accepted that was the best he was going to do for the night, and Nightwatcher took the roof tops before the cop cars arrived.

* * *

Midori had offered to allow Nightwatcher to share her hideout, seeing as he and Jade were libel to be working together quite often in the future.

The turtle went straight in, his eyes falling on Midori almost immediately. _Beautiful as ever. No, bad Raphie, don't go there! _She was off in a corner of the huge space practicing a kata, it looked like. After removing the suit and tying his mask back on, Raph walked over and watched, his green eyes deftly following her every move and converting it to memory.

"Nice Kata."

She gave him a sideways glance, but without breaking her form. "Thanks."

"Never seen one like that before."

"My mother taught it to me. She said that all the children in their village learned it, but they weren't supposed to implement it in battle because it's considered a move only for the most advanced." Midori kept going, but she had turned her focus to the turtle, and was now relying solely on muscle memory, "You see, part of it involves sheathing your weapons and leaving yourself wide open."

The turtle raised an eye-ridge skeptically. "That doesn't sound like it would be very successful."

"If you time it right, the move is devastatingly effective." She replied with a shrug.

Raph moved towards her with a serious look on his face, thinking, before he finally voiced his thoughts. "We should spend some time training together." When Midori sent him a questioning glance, he elaborated, "See, if I taught you all the katas I know that you don't, and you did the same for me, we'd both know twice as much as we did before and we'll both be able to better-defend ourselves."

Midori raised an eye-ridge and considered that for a moment before nodding slowly. "That's a good idea. You want me to teach it to you now?"

Raphael pulled out his t-phone, still an hour before curfew. It takes about fifteen minutes to get from here to the lair…I still got time. "Yeah, if yur up to it."

The human female smirked. "Of course I'm up to the challenge." She replied snarkily, making Raph smile.

* * *

Raph came home at exactly twelve o'clock. The red-clad turtle immediately spotted his blue-banded brother sitting on the couch reading a comic with his back to the door. Leo looked up from his comic, straining his neck towards the door. "I was afraid you weren't going to make it back in time." He muttered, returning to his comic right after.

The hothead threw his arms up in a surrendering gesture, "Eh, I said I'd be back and I'm back. What more do you want from me, bro?"

"Nothing, just glad you're obeying orders for once." Came the short, seemingly disinterested reply.

Michelangelo emerged from the kitchen and glanced from Leo to Raph, then sat down on the couch with a bounce and a smile. It looked like there wouldn't be any fighting between these two tonight, seeing as Raph was in a decent mood. Leonardo was completely engrossed in his comic and likely to remain so for the next hour or so, so nobody would be prompting any disagreements tonight. Whew.

Raph smirked at his older brother, his telltale mischievous smirk. Mikey looked up and sent him a questioning look, to which Raphael gave a fake innocent look and said to Leo in a tone quite serious, "You never know, big brother, maybe I've turned over a new leaf. Maybe I'll be obeying all your orders from now on."

_**That**_ got the eldest turtle's attention and his gaze flew up from his comic. He glared at his immediate younger brother, "Who are you? And what have you done with my brother, Raphael?"

Raph snickered and gave the blue-banded turtle a rough but affectionate rub on the head from where he stood behind the couch. Mikey and Leo both smiled at seeing their normally cynical brother in such a good mood.

Then Leo stood and looked Raphael in the eyes. "Learn anything new out there tonight?"

"Yeah, as a matter-of-fact I was just about to go report to Master Splinter."

"No need my son I am right here." The old rat said coming up from behind them, making all three turtles jump.

"Sensei." They whined, and the old rat just smiled.

"What is it you found out Raphael?"

"Well, I think I finally got a lead on the Nightwatcher, Jade is still at large and kicking Foot butt, and I got the name of Shredder's mystery crony." Donnie entered the room from his lab as Raph was making his report and immediately joined his brothers.

Raphael suddenly found four pairs of eyes looking at him expectantly. "…What?"

"You said you got the guy's name." Leo prompted.

Raph shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "Well not exactly his name, just what they call him."

Master Splinter's eyes narrowed. "And what is that, my son?"

"Well they call him…Dragon. Unfortunately that was the best I could do tonight. I'll get more info on him tomorrow." With his hand still on his neck, the turtle shrugged.

Leonardo nodded, before turning back to one of the other issues, "What about your lead on Nightwatcher?"

"I think I know where his hideout is, but I'm gonna have to check it out another night, it's in an old and abandoned warehouse near the riverfront, but I won't go in till I've thoroughly checked the place out."

Master Splinter regarded his second son thoughtfully, "I'm amazed by how well you're handling this Raphael."

Raph smiled lightly, "Thank you, Sensei."

* * *

The next day, Raphael was practicing in the dojo, which…was not at all unusual. Michelangelo passed the dojo, humming happily to himself, and screeched to a stop. He took a few steps back and peered through the dojo doors to confirm what he thought he had seen. Was that a new Kata?

When did Raph learn it? Man, it looked really awesome! Leo and Donnie have got to see this!

The youngest of the turtles ran off hurriedly to find his brothers.

Leo was in his room reading Space Hero comics, when a big orange blur (namely Michelangelo) jumped on the end of his bed.

Before the older turtle could even utter a single syllable, Mikey cut him off, "Come on, bro! You have got to see this!" And with that the blue-masked turtle found himself being dragged down the hall by his younger brother. Mikey sure could be pushy sometimes.

They went straight to the lab and abducted Donatello, of course, before the youngest finally released them in front of the dojo. He pulled the door back a little and gestured his older brothers to look inside, where Raphael was still practicing.

The two older turtles watched quietly for a moment before turning back to their little brother. "Raph learned a new kata?"

Mikey nodded, "Yeah isn't it awesome? I wanna learn it, too!"

Leo looked back at Raphael, his keen blue eyes watching his brother's movements carefully.

A frustrated growl from inside made all three turtles peek into the dojo, to make sure their brother was alright, which, of course he was. Why he was growling they were not quite certain.

Raphael took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and plunged headlong into the kata with full focus. Every movement was beautifully precise, every potential blow perfectly executed. His body was performing flawlessly as his mind formed a picture of Midori carrying out each step as she had taught it to him earlier that day.

"Do you see that?" Leo asked, his voice slightly awed.

"That it's awesome?" Mikey asked, and Leo face-palmed.

"No, he has his eyes closed!"

The two younger turtles stared. _How could Raph, the master of bad form, master a kata so perfectly, and do it with his eyes closed? _

When Raph finished the kata and opened his eyes, his senses immediately alerted him to his brothers' presence and he whirled around to glare at them. "What are you guys doin?"

"Watching." Leo answered plainly.

"Didn't you bother to consider that might have made me a little uncomfortable?"

"No, seems to me you've got that kata mastered."

"I do not remember teaching you that kata, Raphael." Raph jumped slightly as his Sensei emerged from behind them.

"Um, well ya see Sensei, Its really simple just a combination of seoi nage and-"

Master Splinter sighed, "I know exactly what it is, my son, I have seen it used in battle many times. However, sheathing one's weapons in the middle of active combat is both risky and foolish. Which is why I never taught it to you or your brothers. I forbid you from using this kata on the battlefield, Raphael."

Raph frowned, "But Sensei, if timed correctly this kind of combo can mislead the enemy and win the battle!"

"Raphael!"

The turtle straightened to attention, fearfully. He hadn't meant to contradict his father...Bowing his head he accepted his Father's wishes, albeit begrudgingly.

"While I will allow you to use this move in training against your brothers, using it out in the field is another matter entirely. It requires a certain level of patience and skill that I am reluctant to burden you with. Show me you can do it, Raphael, then perhaps I will allow you to apply it in battle."

"Hai Sensei." Raph nodded and that was the end of that.

* * *

The four teenage mutant turtles were on their usual evening patrol, only this time they'd split up in pairs to cover more ground. Of course Leo had made certain Raphael was with him so that he could keep an eye on the hothead. The leader was scouting some fifty yards ahead of his younger brother, all the while constantly glancing back to be sure Raphael didn't run off. Just as they were heading by the docks, Raph grew suddenly on edge, his senses telling him something was up. At that moment, a strange sound caught his ear.

It sounded like robotic movement. Question was: Krang or Foot? The second oldest turtle raced forward and tapped his elder brother's shoulder. Leonardo turned towards him and Raph gestured him to listen. The leader took a moment and listened very closely. He could just make out very quiet noises. He raised an eye-ridge at Raphael, and the hot head bounded off towards the docks before the eldest could get a word in edgewise. With a roll of his dark blue eyes, the ninja leader took off after his brother. The two younger turtles followed their elder brothers, exchanging confused glances. When they reached the docks all them stopped and stared.

Raph's eyes narrowed. This had to be the biggest Foot operation he had ever seen. There had to be at least a hundred of them, if not more. Though he would rather be able to handle this as Nightwatcher, considering the number of Foot present he decided it was probably better that his brother was here, though he wasn't about to let Fearless put himself in danger anyway.

The hothead glanced over at Leo with a 'shall we?' look that made the eldest turtle frown.

'Don't you dare.' Leonardo mouthed silently with a glare.

Raphael smirked and decided it was time to have a little fun with his older brother. The emerald green turtle jumped off the roof of the building they were currently on, over the heads of several Foot bots in the alley below, and onto a huge stack of containers. Leonardo looked so freaked out! Raph had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. The poor leader, his heart still pounding, put his hands on his hips, and started tapping his foot impatiently. _Yep, he was now royally pissed._

'Get back here now.' The elder gestured sternly with hand signals.

Raph just stood defiantly and answered, also in hand signals, 'Make me.'

Leo had to painfully resist the urge to sigh in frustration. It only took him a moment to calm his nerves before he decided that enough was enough. And he'd had it with Raph's risky games. He glanced down for a moment before jumping over beside his brother. The forest-green turtle stared at his younger brother disapprovingly, about to drag him out of the danger zone when a loud, booming voice made them both turn their heads.

The two elder turtles exchanged nervous glances. That wasn't Shredder's voice. Or Fishface, Dogpound, Tigerclaw. This was something new, at least it was to one of them. Raphael's eyes narrowed with recognition.

They both rushed over to the other side of the crate stack they were currently standing on and peered down to get a better look. There in the middle of the operation, was someone Leo had never seen before. He was wearing what looked like a cross between a ninja uniform and militarized body armor. Bullet proof, it looked like. The most curious aspect about him however was that he was wearing a chochin kabuto helmet, shaped much like Shredder's kuro kabuto, only more plain, just the helmet without the added blade decoration. The final touch was a golden samurai mask, the face behind it completely a mystery.

Whoever this guy was, he had some serious rank. All the Foot bots were obeying his orders without question and then, just as Raph was about to get closer, Leonardo grabbed his arm and yanked the hothead towards him so he could whisper in his brother's ear, "We shouldn't get too close."

"I know that voice, Leo. He's that Dragon guy." Raph's eyes narrowed and he pulled his arm away. He gestured Leo to go back to the other side of the crates. The eldest stared back at him, confused.

'Trust Me.' Raph gestured, 'I have a plan.'

With much hesitation, Leo backed down, jumping back across to the other side. Once he was there Raph made one more gesture, again in hand signals. 'Follow me, but stay on the upper levels. Wait for my signal.'

Raphael jumped down into the alley and drew his sai. He knocked over several trash cans, banging on them with his sai and creating a great commotion.

* * *

**Deep Blue Eyes (Leonardo's POV)**

When I figured out what my brother was doing, I felt a little better. So far Raphael seemed to be taking extreme caution, which is extremely unusual for him. He's drawing the Footbots in a few at a time. Not a bad plan, I thought to myself. Then I realized something else.

Raphael learns from experience. So the only way he would feel confident knowing a plan like this would work, is if he's tried similar schemes. Just how many times has Raph done this all by himself?

I was pulled from my thoughts by the realization that Footbots were closing in on the alley. I tensed, but stayed put, hoping my brother wouldn't be too pig-headed to realize he'd need backup.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Dragon looked up when he heard the commotion coming from a nearby alley. He knew who it was. Nightwatcher always used some kind of surprise tactic when he was ridiculously outnumbered. But Dragon vanished in the shadows, making his way through the stacks of crates and cartons. As he approached the alley, his eyes caught some shadows on the roof.

_So more than one of them are here. I have not studied the others thoroughly enough to confront them all. So I will have to separate them. Corner my quarry in an alley and…no, there is always the chance that the other turtles will come to the rescue._ Then an evil smile spread across his face. _No, no, I will not kill him tonight. But I'll make sure he knows exactly what he's up against. I will show him the impossibility of escaping this situation. He will see that it is unsafe for him to remain with his family, for I shall find him wherever he tries to hide. Tonight Hamato Raphael will realize that there is no where he can run to escape the finest hunter in Shredder's arsenal. Tonight he will know how it feels to be a dead man-er, turtle-walking._

As soon as Raph gave the signal, Leo jumped down into the alley with his katanas drawn. Unfortunately for him, Raph had already finished most of them off. Just as Leonardo was about to slice up a couple bots standing behind him, Raphael got in his way and took them down.

"Raph, what are you doing? I had them!" The eldest said, annoyed.

"Save your strength, Fearless. There's more on the way." Leo could have sworn he saw the hothead look up and he inadvertently followed his gaze just in time to catch a glimpse of a female figure pulling away from the ledge. _Jade_, he thought with a frown. Then a thought struck him. _Was Raph showing off? The same way he had with Karai?_ He raised an eye-ridge and scrutinized his brother's facial expression. It was possible…

Before he could think any further on that notion, the two brothers were bombarded with Foot bots. A small battalion jumped down in the alley between them, splitting them slightly apart. Leo met Raph's eyes. There was only one good option left now. Split up and regroup after the bots had been finished off. Raph nodded and ran down an adjacent alley, not knowing that was exactly what his adversaries wanted.

* * *

Raph reached a dead end and cursed his turtle luck, turning to face the Foot bots, only to find them gone. He had a bad feeling about this…The next thing he knew he'd been flung backwards into a wall with tremendous force. He was still near the docks, but he had lost his orientation. He stood, shakily, knowing that whoever he was fighting was not about to give up easily.

Raphael reached for his sai, but something slammed into him from behind, pinning him against the wall. A dark, deep voice whispered eerily into his ear. "You have no idea the trouble you have cause Hamato Raphael."

"What do you want from me?" Raph growled.

"The same thing all of the Foot want from you. I want you to die!"

Raph's muscles flexed and he tried to pull away, but he could not.

"You don't seem to realize just who I am."

"Why, should I?"

"I am the one you have been searching for. The Dragon."

Raph smirked, "So let me guess, you want me to tell you where my father is and then Shredder will use me as bate, right?"

"Wrong!" Raph tried to look back at his adversary over his shoulder, but Dragon pressed him even further into the wall, punching him in the gut for good measure.

Raph groaned, but Dragon went on with a maniacal grin. "I suppose you haven't heard. I'm Shredder's Huntsman. I find and kill anyone and everyone he commands dead. And you see, Raphael, you are my next quarry."

All of a sudden the pressure vanished and Raph stood upright and glanced around. A fog had rolled in, and it was hard to see, but he sensed the Huntsman was still there. "Why me? Why not any of my brothers?"

"Well, he didn't ask for you. Not at first. He wanted someone quite different." Raphael decided he didn't like that evil cackle in the Dragon's voice.

"My quarry is the Warrior of Darkness himself. The great Night Crusader, though, I think we both know that the Nighttime vigilante and yourself are one in the same."

Raph growled and decided enough was enough. He sensed a movement in the fog and he struck, but the shadow dodged.

The red-masked ninja turned, trying to pinpoint his enemy's location, when a voice whispered over his shoulder, "You'll never find me. Your senses are not fine-tuned enough, and my skills are superior to yours in every manner."

"That's what you think!" Raph growled and threw a punch. Dragon dodged. Before he could react, Dragon emerged from the fog behind him and Raph turned around to meet an onslaught of blows. The Huntsman struck him repeatedly, over and over in the same places and Raphael knew he wouldn't be able to take much more…

"No one can escape me! No one can avoid me! I am the finest tracker in known existence, rest assured you and your family will not be safe for long!" Those words put fear in Raph's heart, but he still pushed himself weakly to his feet.

"Give me your best shot."

* * *

Meanwhile, Leonardo found himself backed into an alley, with little luck at escaping. He was outnumbered at least two-to-one, but that wasn't anything he couldn't handle, unless they brought reinforcements…

Just as that thought crossed his mind, at least two dozen more Footbots appeared on either side of the alley. _Great I just jinxed myself!_ He thought as he readied a katana. With his other hand, he activated the emergency beacon on his T-phone, hoping Mikey and Don were able to respond.

Jade had been watching as Raph and his brother started to engage the Footbots, and when they'd split up she thought about going after her friend, but then she decided Raph would rather she help his brother, and a good thing too. It looked like the blue-banded turtle was now completely outnumbered, no matter how good he was. No one could take that many Foot bots all at once. She leaped down into the alley without a second thought, taking down three Foot at once.

Leo was startled by a loud battle cry and when he looked up he saw that vigilante, Jade, leaping down into the alley beside him. She skewered three Foot bots right off the bat with one of the old jitte, and Leonardo couldn't help but notice she had both of them. _When did Raph…?_ But his thoughts were interrupted as a jitte cut in front of his face, wiping out a Foot bot. He glanced over at her.

"Yo Blue, keep yer guard up will ya? I can't take 'em all down by myself!"

Leo frowned, not entirely sure he trusted her, but nodded nevertheless.

For ten minutes they fought seemingly endless waves of Foot, before the tides finally seemed to turn in their favor. Leonardo realized that her fighting style was very reminiscent of Raphael's and by using that line of thought he was able to decently predict her movements, and avoid getting in her way. As she finished off the last couple of Foot Leo started to glance around for any sign of Raph.

As though reading his thoughts, Jade addressed him, "I counted forty-two of them when you and your brother were confronted by them. There are forty-two here. So you can therefore assume that whoever he's fighting, it isn't Foot Bots."

Though he was still reluctant to trust her, he couldn't help the dread that filled his stomach at her words. He was so distracted by his worry he didn't even catch that she knew Raphael was his brother. Suddenly, the sound of an engine made both of them look up.

The Shell Raiser rolled up, barely squeezing through the tight alley. It screeched to a halt and the door flew open as Michelangelo and Donatello jumped out.

"Leo!" Exclaimed the youngest, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks to…" his voice faded away as he looked up and realized she was gone. He frowned.

Mikey took a look around and whistled, "Dude this is a lot of Foot bots." Then another thought came to him, "Where's Raph, he didn't leave you alone did he?"

"No, of course not Mikey." Leo said, trying to calm his youngest sibling. "Raph and I purposely split up hoping to reduce their numbers and make them more manageable. But then…it seems that all the ones Raph led away from here, came back to fight me."

"So who's fighting Raphael?" Donatello asked.

_Always the quick one._ Leo thought. "That's what we have to find out. Come on guys, let's find Raph and make sure he's alright." Leo stated, unable to hide his worry. The other two brother's nodded, their expressions just as grave.

* * *

Raphael could barely breathe. He felt like his stomach was on fire. Despite the protective barrier his plastron provided, each blow hurt even more the first. No longer able to stand he fell to the ground. The emerald green turtle tried to push himself up, but before he could do so he was struck by a brutal kick to the stomach. He let out a pained cry and Dragon laughed.

"I will not kill you tonight turtle, but remember what I said. As long as I am after you, no one you know is safe. There is nowhere you can hide from me." He finished with a cackle, but it was cut off, as they heard voices approaching.

"Raph? You there?"

"Remember my words, turtle." Dragon hissed as he vanished into the fog.

Raph groaned in pain as he struggled to get up, but his body had given out on him.

"Guys I think I heard something!" He vaguely registered it as being Mikey's voice. _No! Mikey couldn't be here! This is where the Dragon was! It isn't safe! _

"No, M-Mikey…" he groaned weakly.

"Raph?" Came a quiet reply. "Where are you, buddy?"

"Mikey, over 'ere." He called, his voice sounding weak, even to his own ears.

He felt a pair of feet drawing nearer and he whispered warily, "Mikey?"

"Raph!" Michelangelo exclaimed as he set eyes on his brother. The youngest slid down onto his knees and rested his hands on the pavement by his brother. "Guys I found him!" He yelled, and Raph could hear more pairs of feet running towards them. "You okay, buddy? Can ya get up?"

"I might with a little help," the red-masked turtle gasped out.

Michelangelo put his brother's arm over his shoulder and hoisted him up, Raphael helping as much as he could, which in his current state, wasn't much. Mikey could now get a better look at his brother's physical state.

"What happened?"

"No time," Raph said, rather breathlessly, "Gotta get to Master Splinter."

"Easy Cowboy, Master Splinter's not going anywhere." Mikey replied soothingly, though he could feel that there was something dreadfully wrong. Raphael was shaking. Whether it was from his injuries, or form sheer terror Michelangelo wasn't certain, but neither boded well. Raph didn't scare easily, unless bugs were concerned.

Leo and Don rushed over to them and gasped at the sight of Raphael. "What happened?" Leonardo asked without hesitation.

Raph looked up at his older brother, weakly, "Really Fearless? I get the crap beaten out of me, I'm half dead and all you can ask is what happened? I thought you cared." It was meant to be sarcastic, but right at the end of the phrase, a wave fresh pain went through him and the red-masked turtle hissed, and almost doubled-over.

Donnie frowned and took a look at his brother's injuries. His brown eyes filled with worry as he turned back to his other brothers, "This is bad. We have to get him home ASAP."

Leo aided Mikey and the two of them carried Raph to the Shell Raiser, despite his protests that he could walk.

Once they got back to the lair and Raph had been placed safely in the medical facility (aka. Donnie's Lab), Leo approached the brainiac and put a hand on his shoulder. "You said it was bad. I don't suppose you want to tell me why."

Donatello sighed. "Leo, you saw the state of his plastron. His breathing sounds awful, which could be a sign of extensive internal damage. If there is internal damage, and if it is severe, I won't be able to do anything about it. We're not like humans, Leo, we can't just open each other up and fix whatever is wrong inside, there's too much shell in the way. Trying to cut through the shell would be an even higher risk of death."

"So what you're saying is that if he's suffered extensive internal damage or bleeding, that could kill him if left untreated, we can't do anything to save him."

Donnie stared at a miniscule dot on the carpet, unable to meet his brother's gaze. "That's exactly what I'm saying Leo."

Leo just stood there, traumatized beyond coherency.

* * *

Thankfully, while Raph had suffered some internal damage none of it was as severe as Donatello had predicted and Leonardo was relieved. The past three days, waiting for Raphael to recover had been the longest and tensest time Leo could remember spending. At every opening of the door, every update from Donatello, Leo would leap off the couch with his fists clenched. He was more worried than he had ever been in his entire life. And when Raph finally emerged from the med-bay, it was the happiest he'd ever been to see his hot-headed little brother alive and well.

Leonardo pulled Raphael into a tight hug, which his brother reciprocated softly, before pulling away. "Leo I have to talk to Sensei." The red-masked turtle said, his voice both pleading and insistent.

"Alright."

Donatello followed as Leo led Raph to the dojo, where Mikey and Sensei looked up. When their eyes fell on Raphael they both smiled.

"Raph!" Mikey exclaimed bounding over and hugging his brother joyously. Master Splinter smiled and began to approach when Raphael sent him a very serious stare.

"Sensei. I have to talk to you. About the guy I fought with. It was Dragon. He calls himself the Shredder's personal Huntsman. He says that Shredder tells him exactly who he wants dead and then he goes and sees it done."

"Indeed," Splinter stroked his beard. "I am surprised he told all of this to you."

"He had a good reason to, Sensei."

"Oh?" Splinter prompted, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm his current prey." Raphael confessed, refusing to meet his Father's or siblings' gazes.

"What?! Are they planning on using you to get to me?"

Raph shook his head, "I told you my latest activities would get me in even deeper with the Shredder." He shrugged nonchalantly, "Guess he finally had enough of my tampering. He's ordered Dragon to kill me, and only me. I suppose he still wants the glory of killing you guys for himself. Sensei, I can't stay here. As long as I'm here you guys are in danger."

Silence spread until Splinter changed the direction of the conversation.

"This Dragon, what was his fighting style like?" Splinter asked, directing the question at his second son.

"He was so fast…it was like he was everywhere at once. I-I didn't even get any good hits in. His strikes were hard and precise, but he used sweeping motions, making any kind of offence or defensive maneuvers practically impossible. It was like he knew every single move I did, like he could read my mind."

Master Splinter closed his eyes and stroked his beard with a look of distress on his face.

Raphael knew that look…"You know who he is don't you?" The rat did not respond, which only confirmed the hothead's suspicions. His green gaze fell to the floor, "Then you know that I cannot evade him. I have to go. If I stay here he'll find me…and you guys too."

"No. He will not come near you." Master Splinter said, his voice filled with anger, directed at the Shredder for putting his family through this, and his son for being hard-headed enough to fall into such a situation.

Raph straightened to his full height and looked his father straight in the eyes. "You can't protect me, Father. Not this time. I got myself into this mess. I'm gonna get myself out. I can defeat him." It was then that Splinter realized the little temperamental turtle he had once known was gone. Yes, that side of Raphael was still there, but it had been subdued to a mere rebellious streak in his eyes. This was a turtle he had never seen before, yet somehow had always known would surface. But he had never expected it to come so soon. Raphael had grown fully independent. He no longer needed his father's support to keep him from falling over. Even Splinter's eldest, Leonardo, still depended on him for guidance. Somehow Raphael had managed to find his own way. How? The old rat was not quite certain. With a flash he realized that this was not only a shock, but a granting of his highest hopes and wishes. This was Raphael at his finest, as he was meant to be.

Long ago a tiny turtle tot, who had struggled learning his first kata, now an emerald green warrior, as sharp and powerful in mind as he was in body and soul. Splinter raised an eyebrow and took note that the brothers, too, had sensed the change, as all of them had taken a few steps away from their brother's side.

Finally, the old rat looked down to meet his second child's gaze, and could not stop his eyes from widening. The neon green irises had always intrigued him with their amazing expressiveness and depth of emotions, but at this moment there was only one.

Determination. Utter, raw determination, the intense drive to succeed. Raphael had always been determined, but this was different. This time he was not driven by anger, but instead by a calm and rational need to protect his family. Splinter frowned. As much as he loved his son, it was perfectly clear that Raphael would do what he saw fit, regardless of orders. The old rat cast a sideways glance at his other three sons who looked horror stricken at the thought that their brother could be leaving them. With a sigh, he lowered his gaze, his facial expression one of pure and utter concentration.

"You will stay here."

Defiance flashed in the red-masked turtle's eyes and Splinter knew what was coming next. "But Sensei-"

"I SAID NO!" He yelled, thumping his tail against the floor in warning.

Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello flinched. Master Splinter only did that when he was really, really mad. All three of them stared in awe as Raphael bristled with anger, then let it out with a deep sigh before whispering bitterly, "I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you father."

Splinter straightened, then turned to stare at Raphael. He looked at the other turtles. "Leave us."

"But Master Splinter-" Leo began to object, but he was soon cut off.

"Leave us. All of you." Came the return command.

An eerie silence filled the room as the other turtles left the room. For a moment, Splinter and Raphael just stared at each other.

"Kneel, Raphael."

He obeyed the order, kneeling out respect for his father, just as he had many times before in the past. Only this time he was not seeking Splinter's comfort or advice. His bright green gaze fell to the tatami floor, where it would remain glued. There was no need to look his father in the eyes, for the old rat already knew what was in his heart.

"I have given you orders to remain here in the lair."

"Hai, Sensei."

Splinter turned his back to his son and asked he knew it was time to ask a question he feared he already knew the answer to. "And you still intend to defy them, am I correct?"

There was a moment of silence before sensitive rat-ears detected the barely audible answer: "Hai, Sensei."

Hamato Yoshi sighed. "There is nothing I can do to stop you, my son. I have seen very clearly in your eyes that you no longer need me anymore. You have become a true ninja warrior."

Raphael sprung to his feet faster than he ever had in his life. He put a hand on Splinter's shoulder, gently forcing the rat to turn around so that they were face-to-face. The red-masked turtle's face softened and he smiled gently. It had been a long time since Splinter had seen his second son smile so freely, and he could not prevent a grin from crossing his face.

The determination faded for a moment, and emotions filled neon green eyes once more. "I'll always need you, Father."

Splinter tensed as he suddenly found himself being pulled into a tight embrace, but he immediately relaxed, pulling his second son close to him. He rubbed a hand against Raphael's bald head, like he always had when the turtles were but little children. Tears reached his eyes before he could stop them, and one rolled off his face and landed on Raph's head.

Raph looked up at the rat with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'll be okay, Daddy." He whispered softly as he pulled gently out of the hug.

And then the determination was back, as quickly as it had vanished. If Hamato Yoshi was truthful with himself, it had never truly gone.

"I can defeat him, Father."

Splinter put a hand on Raphael's shoulder, staring deep into his handsome green eyes. "I know you can, my son."

And then the emerald green turtle was gone.


	22. Chilling Discoveries

**Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I've updated this, but I'm not about to leave it unfinished so rest assured. This chapter was hard work because there were so many things I had to sort out since a lot of stuff happens. Warning, this chapter may contain a little language and nonconsensual touching. Though nothing explicit. Please review, I'm anxious to hear from you guys, I haven't been getting much feedback lately, and some recommendations would really help me improve. Thanks for reading everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter 22-Chilling Discoveries**

**Leo's POV**

We had to find him. We just had to. Raphael had left over a week ago and there had been neither sight nor sound of him since. I couldn't stand it. The uncertainty was unrelenting. I've been pacing the floor every day until patrol. I've barely slept. It's hard to sleep knowing that one of my precious little brothers is out there running and fighting for his life or...already dead. He could be lying in a ditch somewhere with his head bashed in, or lying in a dungeon with one of Shredder's blades stuck in his chest. And we'd never be the wiser.

It was a sickening thought. My heart clenched in pain and dread at the thought of Raphael...No, no I won't start thinking like that. Raph's okay. He's going to be okay. He has to be.

Sensei told us not to go after him. I couldn't believe it. I had stared at him, disbelievingly, as though he had grown another head. "But Sensei-"

"Raphael can take care of himself, Leonardo. Much as I dislike the fact that he has left, I fear that his reasoning is most sound. Being here would put all of you in danger."

Later that day in the dojo, Master Splinter pulled me aside and we exchanged words.

"Sensei, we can't keep going on like nothing's happened! We have to go help Raphael, we can't just let him go it alone, he'll get hurt."

"Remember what I told you Leonardo, with the world at stake, we must move on, no matter what we have to sacrifice. Or who."

I glared at him. I had never been so angry. Raph was the angry one, not me, but something in my father's words made me lose my patience.

He turned to walk back over to my brothers, and I stiffened, my fists clenching at my sides. "So you would hand Raphael over to the Shredder?" I growled.

Master Splinter glanced back at me over his shoulder, his expression grave, his dark brown eyes glazed over with glistening, unshed tears. "Leonardo, the loss of a son would break me."

All I could do was stare. I had never seen my father so upset.

"Shredder knows that." He face became stern, "As does Raphael. Something has changed in your brother, Leonardo. I am confident he knows exactly what he is doing. Meddling in his plans could very well seal his fate. You must not pursue him." And with that Sensei left the dojo.

A week later, we were on patrol. It was late. Much later than we usually stayed out. But I needed to burn off the extra energy, release the pent up frustration. As did Don and Mikey, I think, since they agreed to a different and longer patrol route than usual.

On our patrol of the warehouse district we were startled by a great commotion. The three of us jumped up onto an overlooking building and rushed over to its edge.

Beneath us there was a battle going on, and a most vigorous one at that. A black clad figure was fighting a large squad of Foot Bots.

My brothers were about to jump down, but I put out my arms holding them back.

"No. We shouldn't show ourselves. We have no idea who that guy is."

"What are you talking about, bro? Of course we know who he is."

Don and I both turned to our little brother with skepticism on our faces.

"Come on, you really don't know who he is? Dudes! Black armor, silver helmet, wicked chain weapons, it's the Nightwatcher!" Mikey said, as though it should have been obvious. In all honesty, it should have been, but for whatever reason I hadn't thought of it.

I looked at this 'Nightwatcher' carefully. Raphael was right. Whoever was under that suit was definitely muscular. The material of the suit was bulletproof and looked pretty heavy duty. The vigilante hadn't noticed he was being watched and I decided to take advantage of that fact. I studied Nightwatcher's movements. He wielded his large manriki-esque weapons with great skill, and I zoned out, remembering a time, many years ago when my brothers and I found Raphael in the dojo practicing with manriki. Huh. I'd forgotten he knew how to wield them. The ones Nightwatcher was using were much larger, but the basic principles seemed the same.

Nightwatcher fought valiantly, and his skills were considerable, that was without a doubt. He was taking out Foot bots left and right.

* * *

The Nightwatcher straightened, his muscles tense. He was already on the alert when he perceived he was no longer alone. The masked vigilante glanced about unobtrusively and decided that the eyes he sought were looking down at him from above. But he was absolutely certain of one thing: the gaze he felt boring into the back of his head was familiar. His finely-tuned ninja hearing detected the slightest shuffle of feet and the gentle whir of a quiet, almost silent breath.

Nightwatcher turned abruptly looking up in their direction. "Show yourselves." He growled, his voice gruff and thickly accented. There was no answer and green eyes narrowed behind a silver face plate. "Do it now." He threatened, his voice cold and sharp as a razor. "Ah know yur there. Ya can't hide from me." Again there was no answer. He turned toward the shadows where he knew his observer was concealed. "Don't make me pull you down from there." He rasped through ground teeth, his hands fingering his manriki.

Three dark figures landed in the shadows on the other side of the alley and Raphael cursed under his breath. Of course all three of them came he thought, inwardly cringing. What the hell were they doing out here?! It's not safe.

"What the hell do you three want?"

Leonardo was the only one that stepped forward revealing himself to the light. He wore a menacingly serious expression. Raph was slightly surprised, for he hadn't expected Leo to show himself so easily.

The forest green turtle paused, as though he were waiting for something.

"Well whatcha waitin for, turtle? You think I'm gonna jump sky high and run off screamin?" He scoffed and waved a hand, "I been fighting crime in this city for six months and I've seen shit that would turn you blue as that mask o' yurs."

The blue masked turtle recoiled slightly, warily. "Where's my brother?" He growled with malice.

"How should I know?" Nightwatcher retorted.

"You must know something." Leo snapped.

"I don't know nothing about no turtle." He grumbled lowly.

"I don't believe that for one second. As you say, you've been fighting crime here for six months at least, Nightwatcher."

"So, you know my name. Bet you think yur so smart." Nightwatcher sneered. Raph decided to go slow, keep them in the dark, just for now. But the guys deserved to know. He scoffed loudly, purposely drawing his older brother's attention. The blue masked turtle glanced at Nightwatcher his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I gotta say, I'm surprised you're up here. Raphael won't be too happy about it."

Leonardo went stock still. Nightwatcher smiled with glee at the older turtle's expense. Then rage filled the older turtle's features and he growled. Literally growled. Raphael's expression sobered and he raised an eye-ridge. All things considered…it might not be such a good idea to poke fun at Leo. He seemed pretty steamed. Nightwatcher snapped back to attention as the eldest turtle spoke low and threateningly, "How did you-"

"As you say, I been here for six months." Nightwatcher replied. "Raphael and I exchange blows now and again. Almost got him last time, he's a slippery devil though."

The next thing Nightwatcher knew he was on the ground, a glistening katana at his throat.

"How dare you hurt my brother!" Leonardo spat, with fire in his eyes.

Donnie and Mikey decided it was time to intervene.

"Whoa, Leo chill, bro! Don't hurt him!" Mikey said jumping out and pushing his older brother away from the vigilante.

Leonardo threw his little brother's arms off himself violently, while the Nightwatcher got back on his feet. "Don't defend him, Mikey! He threatened our brother!"

"So we trade rival punches every once in a while, it's more of a partner rivalry than anything else." Nightwatcher said, with a shrug.

"Partners?! Then you know where he is?" Leo demanded inquiringly. His dark blue eyes glinted with nervous apprehension.

Nightwatcher stiffened, staring at the turtles in silent contemplation. Michelangelo had to practically bite his tongue to stop himself from squealing as he realized he was standing not three feet away from his hero.

After a few long moments of silence Leo could swear Nightwatcher was smirking behind that helmet of his.

"Where is he?" Demanded the eldest.

"Closer than you think." Nightwatcher muttered under his breath. Then he raised his hands in surrender, "I can't take you to him."

"Yes you will." Leonardo stated menacingly. His katana glinting in the moonlight.

"No. Raph left to keep you out of danger. Every moment you're out here you're risking not only your lives, but his also." Nightwatcher replied with equal menace.

"How would you know what Raph wanted?" Leo growled.

"I understand him." There was a slight pause.

"Take us to him."

"Are you prepared to face the consequences?" There was a short silence and then Leo exchanged glances with the two younger turtles. Finally he looked back at Nightwatcher, staring into the dark black void of a motorcycle visor, not knowing green eyes were staring stiffly back at him.

The vigilante turned away from them, lowering his gaze as he stated lowly, "I hope you understand that if you force me to reveal Raph's location, you're not only endangering yourselves, but you're risking his life as well. Do you still insist to see him, even if it costs him his life?" Nightwatcher turned back towards them, his visor making his expression unreadable. "Follow me if you wish, but know that you risk only the lives of others."

Leo followed immediately, but Don's hand caught his shoulder. "Leo what has gotten into you?"

The eldest turned his head back towards his younger brothers and spoke, his eyes shining with a strange, unfamiliar glint. "Raph's not going to die, Donnie."

"How do you know, Leo?" Mikey chimed in, his voice emphatic, bordering on frantic. "How do you know he's not telling the truth?"

Leonardo glanced at his youngest brother, his steel-eyed gaze looking straight through them. "We have to find Raph, Mikey."

Unnoticed by the three of them, Nightwatcher stiffened at the mention of the missing brother.

Michelangelo stared at the eldest turtle with disapproval. "Why, Leo? Why is it so vital that we find Raph? If he gets killed because of us what good will it do?"

"Leo, Mikey's right." Don agreed.

"Listen to yur brothers." Nightwatcher added, making Leonardo glare at him. "At least they have some sense."

Leonardo glared in the vigilante's direction, not that it made much difference. In fact, it only served to make Raph smirk.

"Take me to my brother." Leo stated insistently.

The vigilante sighed. "Raph's gonna kick your shell." He stated, making certain his voice was lower and maintained the thick Manhattan drawl to prevent his brothers from recognizing him.

He led them to an old abandoned warehouse not far from Midori's hideout, but not in the general vicinity. He had a lingering suspicion that the four of them were no longer alone. When he turned around and got a fleeting glimpse of a lithe figure clad in black and dark red armor, the tension ebbed away and he relaxed. Once they were safely sealed inside the warehouse he turned back to the turtles.

They were on their guard, obviously thinking that the Nightwatcher had led them into some kind of trap. Donatello glanced around warily, obviously calculating various methods of escape. Leo glanced around, taking in their surroundings, as in making sure it wasn't a trap. Then he turned to Nightwatcher. "Well?"

"Well what?" The vigilante responded with his back turned to the three of them. He could feel them tensing in apprehension.

"Where's our brother?" Michelangelo asked hesitantly. This was the Nightwatcher. He wouldn't do anything to hurt them. Right?

"He's here." Nightwatcher answered while he slowly turned to face them. Inside his suit Raphael took a deep breath and steeled himself.

They exchanged confused glances, all three of them glancing around the room. Donatello, in particular, moved around the room, his eyes searching the rafters above them, and finding nothing.

Leonardo growled. "What are you talking about? There's no one here!" he yelled, gesturing to the warehouse around them.

"I didn't say he was here. I said he is here." Nightwatcher repeated, slowly lifting a gloved hand and removing his helmet. Raphael smirked. "You guys should see the looks on your faces." He said with a smirk. Then his expression hardened. "Though, I'll have to stay on the run now that my cover's blown. Probably have to leave New York. I was thinking about heading for Detroit, but I wanted to find some way to tell you guys first."

His brothers continued to stare at him, their minds failing to register a single word he had just spoken.

"R-RAPH?!" Donnie stuttered in shock.

"Raphael? Dude, you're the Nightwatcher. Holy shit, bro!"

"Michelangelo watch your language!" Leo chided, finally over the shock. Stalking up to his brother angrily, Leonardo poked Raphael's suit-covered chest angrily. "What the fuck do you think you're doing Raphael? Fighting the foot? Getting shot? Worrying the crap out of us just so you could go off and play vigilante every night?!"

Mikey whispered to Don behind his hand, "So much for language."

"I told you Leo! I'm doing this to protect you guys, it's a matter of honor."

"No matter of honor is worth sacrificing your family." Leonardo retorted fiercely and then added in a slightly softer tone, "Or your life."

Raph's shoulders relaxed and he acquiesced. "Maybe not. But there's something else I'm fighting for too. I can't tell you about that right now."

Everyone sent silent as the brothers realized that Raph wasn't about to change his mind.

"Then why won't you let us help you?" Leo asked, staring straight down into his immediate younger brother's bright green eyes.

Raphael stepped forward into his older brother's space. That bright-eyed defiant look that had appeared his eyes when he told Sensei he was leaving resurfaced, and again his brothers took a step back.

"You've changed." Donatello stated evenly. "You're not the way you used to be."

Leonardo ignored the comment and went on in a low even tone. "If you're going against the Shredder you're going to need backup."

"You don't have to worry about that." three pairs of eye-ridges went up. Raph smirked. "I have a partner."

They stared at him, wide-eyed. Mikey was the first to overcome the shock. "Who?"

"Me." A disembodied voice floated down towards them from behind.

They whirled around drawing their weapons. Behind them, laid out on her side on one of the rafters, Jade stared down at them. She jumped down and moved past them, leaning on Raphael rather more than casually, making Leonardo's eyes narrow.

Raph cast a sideways glance at her and muttered, "Find anything tonight?"

"Just some more smuggling plans. I see you've been busy." She gave a pointed look at his brothers. "Did you fight all three of them, or did they willingly follow you into the trap?" She said, her voice almost playful.

Raphael smiled. Really smiled. Michelangelo smirked and glanced over to Donnie. He mouthed 'I knew it' and Donnie face-palmed. _Great my brother's fallen in love with a female vigilante,_ Donatello thought sarcastically. _Just what Raphael needed: someone who would drag him into even more trouble._

"You ought to know. You followed us here." He said with a smirk.

She nodded briefly. Then she turned to his brothers glancing over each in turn from behind the safety of her visor. "Rest assured. I'll take good care of him."

"You were the one who bandaged up his shell after the shell-cycle incident." Donnie deduced. The other two bothers followed his gaze and all three stared at her with a new found measure of respect.

"How clever of you to realize that." She stated. Then her voice went flat and any hint of amusement left it. "I had to pump the water out of his lungs after I dragged him out. He was lucky to be alive."

There was silence. The brothers stared. Raph had never told them that he'd almost drowned.

The turtle in question put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Then he changed the subject. "Dragon is **my** problem you guys. I'll deal with him myself. I don't want to drag you into it."

"You've dragged her into it." Leo retorted, pointing at the 'her' in question rather childishly.

"I was already in it." Jade murmured. "Unfortunately for Raphael, Nightwatcher is stuck with me."

"You're gonna have ta leave soon, Leo." Raph warned, noting the time on Mikey's t-phone. "We spend too long here and it could put all of us in danger."

"What are you going to do?" Leonardo asked, but he was met with only silence.

"If only I could hack into the Foot database and find who's behind the smuggling attempts. They have to have some kind of link with a shipping company or supplier. If I could find that link, I could destroy the whole operation at the source." Jade stated.

Raph's gloved hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "We. We can destroy the whole operation. I'm not about to let you go off on your own. Besides, hacking in is no easy thing. We have to be patient and plan this out."

She jerked her wrist free and pulled away slightly. Then her voice lowered to a whisper, "I can use my connections to the shipping business to…"

He spoke calmly, "No, Jade we need to think this through." Raph looked up, and realized all of his brothers were watching him with surprised glances. "What?"

"You sound like Leo!" Mikey said with mirth.

Raph grimaced and rubbed a hand over his head. He turned to Jade and whispered into her ear. "We'll talk about this later, at yours."

She nodded and jumped back up into the rafters, leaving through a high window.

Raph turned back to his brothers. "It's still not safe for me to go back to the lair. I'll keep in the shadows, and try and avoid Dragon as long as I can. But if I have to fight him, I will."

Leonardo approached him and put his hands on Raph's shoulders, his eyes filled with pure seriousness. "No, if we fight this guy we fight him together."

"I've been through this already, Leo." Raph growled.

"Fine." Leo acquiesced. Raph stared at him in surprise. The hothead was even more shocked when his older brother yanked him into a fond embrace. "Be careful."

Raphael pulled away and nodded. "I will be" he said softly, pulling the helmet back over his head with one hand. He nodded farewell and they watched him leave the same way that Jade had a few minutes earlier.

* * *

Meanwhile, Midori returned to her uncle's apartment. She changed out of her suit and into a plain white t-shirt and skinny jeans and a pair of white sneakers. As she was heading into the living room, her eye caught the computer in Uncle Ryuu's office, its light was blinking, showing that it was on for some reason. _It wasn't on before_. She wandered over and unlocked the computer. Immediately she tried to browse through some of her uncle's business files, but for some reason they were blocked. She hacked in and started looking at old logs and transactions. _I don't understand. It's an antique dealing company. Why do they have all of these transactions with…_ Her brow furrowed and she stared. Midori got up and went to her room, pulling out her files on the Foot smuggling operation. Papers flew off in every direction as she searched for the one that held the information she sought. The longer the search grew the more frantic she became until at last she landed on the opaque pink paper in question. Her hand clutched it so tightly her knuckles turned white, all the while shaking violently with nervous tension, as her honey golden eyes darted over the page. The Dragon's Heart Manufacturing Company had been out of business for years, yet according to the data on the screen uncle Ryuu's company was still making large transactions. The paper in her hand was a list of the company fronts the Foot had been using to mask their smuggling operation. Her hands stopped shaking and her body tensed. She held her breath. _Oh my god. Raphael…Raphael was right! Uncle Ryuu… _Her eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out." A deep voice growled from behind her.

Midori whirled around, still clutching the paper in her hand. An armored figure stood before her. It fit Raph's description of the Dragon to a T. Ryuu removed his helmet and revealed an evil smirk. She flashed the paper towards him, "You're the head of the foot's smuggling ring!" She whispered, still slightly taken aback.

"Well of course I am. Who else would Oroku Saki trust with so delicate an assignment than his ever faithful top lieutenant."

"You work for…"

"Certainly. You know, your incessant meddling in my affairs has cost me a lot of money." He said eerily stalking towards her.

"You monster! Why are you doing this?" Midori asked, shocked beyond comprehension.

"Is there anything more valuable in this world than money and power?"

"What about love?" She asked, "That's what my mother and I believed. I thought you believed it too."

Dragon scoffed. "What of it? You're weak-minded and emotional, just like your father. Your mother was no better. You should have seen the look on her face when she realized the pills I'd given her were poisoned. I don't think I'd ever seen her quite so shocked."

Midori was so shocked she couldn't even move as his hands darted out and tried to restrain her. "You monster!" She growled and comprehension dawned on her, and she pulled easily out of his grip as he allowed her to put a foot of space between them.

"It was pathetic, really. In the end, she was just as weak as her 'husband.' He never deserved her. She was just to blind to see how far beneath her she was really stooping." Ryuu stated in a snobbish and jealous way. _Uncle Ryuu was jealous of Father? But he's Mother's brother._

Midori's face settled into a scowl and she growled, "She loved him, and she cared for him more deeply than a snake like you would ever know!"

He backhanded her across the face and she stumbled backwards, but stayed on her feet. "You ungrateful little wretch! I was ordered to kill you months ago, but I thought you could have been useful. Again I find myself mistaken." He backed her into a corner and pushed himself up against her. His hands ran down her sides and she sobbed, trying to pry herself free of his grip. One of his hands cupped her face, while the other reached lower. "In your defense however, you are beautiful as your mother once was."

Midori snarled, unable to free herself. His hand came back up and moved to rest on her inner thigh. Anger surged within her like a tidal wave. She glared up at him, her eyes on fire and filled with loathing. Midori spat in his face and Ryuu became enraged. He slammed her head into the wall behind her and threw her to the ground. The claw-like gloves he wore tore through her shirt, leaving three long bleeding marks on her shoulder. She screamed in pain, her vision beginning to go fuzzy from the blow to the head. I can't let the fact that this is my uncle stop me. I've got to make it out of here. Everything began to go dark as one final thought entered her mind…_Raph_


	23. Keeping him in Sane

**This chapter contains adult language, and a little bit of blood. **

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I really, Really appreciate it. And I am happy to know that you are enjoying it **

**So, this is a long, complicated and emotional chapter, just bear with me. I know I left it at a cliffhanger and you all want to know what happens next so I'll wrap this up and let you read now!**

* * *

**Ch. 23-Keeping Him in Sane**

She screamed in pain, her vision beginning to go fuzzy from the blow to the head. I can't let the fact that this is my uncle stop me. I've got to make it out of here. Everything began to go dark as one final thought entered her mind…_Raph_

_Raphael! _Midori's mind snapped back into focus. _He's still in danger! I have to find him…to warn him._

Midori could feel more than see the armored figure pressing against her. She lashed out. Dragon recoiled with a growl. He had assumed his niece was too injured to resist.

She tried to straighten, but the head injury made her stumble. Ryuu seized the opportunity and grabbed her wrists. Midori writhed away from his grip, making a mad dash for the window. Her uncle lunged, his hand clamping over her ankle. Midori's heart beat wildly in her chest. She shook her head to clear her vision and flipped herself over, kicking him in the face. Ryuu drew back just long enough for her to squeeze out the window and slam it hard, jamming the old rusty hinges.

By the time Dragon had broken the glass, she'd disappeared without a trace. Ryuu cursed under his breath.

Midori stumbled through the sewers, clinging to the tunnel walls to stay upright. _Raphael…I've got to get to Raphael_. She'd been walking for so long…she had no idea where she was. It was then Midori realized she'd become completely and hopelessly lost. So many twists and turns…the tunnels were endless. She had no idea where Raphael's family lair was, or if he would even been in the sewers. Midori slowed her pace, collapsing in exhaustion. She pressed her back against the wall, tears rolling down her face. The wet droplets cascaded down her cheeks, and onto her neck. The blood had stained what was left of the left shoulder of her white t-shirt. She felt weak.

"Raphael, please help." Midori whimpered, letting her head fall into her hands.

* * *

The next day, the lair was filled with the sound of training. Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello were engaged in the middle of a 'last-one-standing' sparring match. All three turtles jumped into the fray, each in turn attacking one brother and defending themselves from the other.

Just as they were charging towards each other a dark armored figure landed in the center of the tatami mats. They immediately tried to stop, stumbling into a rather undignified heap on the floor. The three turtles jumped to their feet in the blink of an eye, holding their weapons at the ready.

Master Splinter stood from his meditative position prepared to attack, but the rat stilled himself as his sons charged the offender. His keen eyes recognized the fighting style instantly. "Yame!"

Everyone froze, including the intruder. Leo, Don, and Mikey stared at their sensei with wide-eyed and surprised expressions. Master Splinter padded over to them, silently. "That is quite enough." He said calmly. His four-fingered hands pushed Leo, Don and Mikey away from the armored figure gently. Splinter looked down into the black visor, "Raphael, please remove that helmet and explain what is going on." Raph did as he was asked.

The other three turtles did a double-take. How had sensei known that? I mean, yeah they knew Raph was Nightwatcher, but they hadn't said anything to Sensei.

Leo's eye-ridges furrowed. "Raph?! What are you doing here?" then he added, belatedly, "I thought you said it was too dangerous." The eldest's tone was confused.

"It's Jade." Raph growled with pure and absolute menace that made his brothers shudder.

Master Splinter was silent. So Raphael was this 'Nightwatcher.' His son should have known better than to go and get embroiled in vigilante antics. At the moment, though, it seemed as though Raphael intended to remain in turtle form for a short while at least, because he had now unzipped and removed his Nightwatcher suit. Speaking of antics…Raphael had been gone for over a week. And he hadn't even greeted his old and worried father. Hmph. "Raphael, I'm sure you can give us a better greeting than that."

Raph looked a little guilty and he pulled Master Splinter into a somewhat tentative embrace. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I just don't know what to do. Something's wrong. I can feel it."

"Slow down, my son." Splinter said, putting his hands on his temperamental son's shoulders. In a way the rat needed to prove to himself that Raphael was really back. "Tell us what you mean."

"I can't find Jade. I've looked everywhere. I went to her hideout, and she wasn't there. I even tried her apartment she wasn't there. The place was entirely empty. But there were b-blood stains and some ripped fabric in one of the rooms. If something's happened to her…" The hothead pulled away from his father his fists clenched. "Idiot! I never should have dragged her into this! Rgh!" Raphael was about to punch the wall when Leo stepped in front trying to calm him down, but Raph growled, "Leo get out of my way before I take my frustration out on you!" Leonardo wisely stepped aside.

A thud rang through the lair as Raph's fist met the wall. "I gotta find her!" he growled, a hint of desperation in his voice that Leonardo had only heard a few times before.

Donatello looked about ready to beat Raphael to a pulp. If there was one thing that really made the brainiac lose his patience, it was Raph's self-destructive habits. But instead of admonishing, Don's tone was strangely calm. "And you think bloody knuckles will help?"

Raph was silent, his eyes glazed over, obviously not in the moment with them. When Donnie tried to take hold of his injured hand, Raph's eyes flashed and he pulled it away. "No thanks Don. I'll take care of it myself." After a questioning stare he shrugged. "I do it often enough anyways."

The turtles and Master Splinter followed Raphael into the lab, where he immediately located the disinfectant and cotton swabs. It took the hothead less than a minute to wrap the hand securely. After he was finished Donatello inspected the bandage. The brainiac raised an eye-ridge. "Where did you learn that?"

Raph gave him a look.

"That's no combat or boxing wrap. It's an efficiently wrapped bandage."

Raphael looked away, and somehow they all knew the answer. Jade.

Master Splinter raised an eyebrow. "You are worried about her."

Green eyes glowed. "Of course I am, Master Splinter. I got her into this. And now she could be hurt. I…"

"I understand my son." He said with a nod. "You feel responsible for her safety."

Raphael nodded, his eyes earnest. His eye-ridges furrowed. "Sensei I've been wanting to ask you about something."

Master Splinter nodded and Raph led him over to Donnie's desk. Raphael found a scrap of blank paper and a pencil and began to draw something. Mikey went around the desk and tried to glance over the hothead's shoulder, but Raph growled and he backed off. Raph showed his father the image and Splinter tensed. The turtles heard Splinter's sharp intake of breath and sent him questioning glances. Instead, the rat master looked directly at his second son.

"Where did you see this?"

There was a moment of tense silence before Raphael answered. "A tattoo. On a guy's arm."

Splinter's nose wrinkled with anger and disgust. "It is the symbol of the Shredder."

Mikey gave all of them a strange look. "What the heck? I thought the Foot symbol was a red foot in a circle."

"It is." Donnie said.

Leonardo looked at the symbol and observed, "The Foot symbol is a red foot, but this appears to be a Japanese symbol that roughly translates to Shredder."

Raphael straightened. His muscles tensed and his eyes grew wide. "Say that again." He stated.

Leo, Don and Mikey gave each other confused looks. Then Leo said slowly, "I said the Foot symbol is-"

"Not that." Raph said cutting him off. "The last part."

Deep blue eyes stared at him questioningly, "It roughly translates to—"

"That's it!" The hothead said loudly, growing more and more anxious by the second. "Oh of course! Ryuu, Ryuu, it 'roughly translates to' dragon in Japanese! Idiot, I'm such a damn idiot! Ryuu Yamamoto! Of course!"

Master Splinter's eyes flashed. How did his son know that name? Before he could ask however—

"Oh Raph you fool, you stupid fool!" The green-eyed turtle reprimanded himself. Raphael burst out the door of the lab and was headed for the lair entrance.

With a rather hurried farewell to Master Splinter, the other three turtles trailed after their rampaging brother. They ran after Raph as fast as they could. He was already out in the sewer tunnels. It was Mikey who found him first.

"Where ya going Raph?" He asked.

Raphael didn't even turn around to look at him. "I'm going to find Jade and get her back safe. No matter what it takes. Even if I have to go straight to Shredhead's hideout."

Michelangelo scoffed, thinking his brother was joking. When he saw Raph's expression his mouth closed and his eyes widened.

"You're not serious, are you?" Leonardo asked.

Raphael glared daggers at him. The hothead's jaw clenched as he growled out the words. "Like I said: I'll do _whatever_ it takes." He repeated emphatically.

The emerald green turtle was about to go storming off when a forest green hand caught his wrist. He turned to face his older brother warily.

"Before you jump into anything…" Raphael turned to look at him. Leo continued, "Please consider letting us go with you. We can help you cover more ground, besides this way you won't be alone. Please let us."

Raph stopped in his tracks. He considered Leonardo's arguments. It was a good idea. Especially considering that Jade could be in some serious trouble. He might need all the help he could get. But on the other hand, he'd be endangering his brothers. But what about Midori? What if she was…

No. No. I'm not even going to think about that. She's okay. She just has to be.

Raphael extricated himself from Leonardo's grip and motioned them to follow, pretending not to notice the sighs of relief from his brothers. "If things get too dangerous, I'm sending you back. I won't have you getting hurt because of me."

They nodded.

On their way towards Ryuu's apartment through the sewers, Raphael heard the slightest sound of movement echoing through the nearby tunnels. He signaled to his brothers who confirmed it, and they began to comb the area. Raph told them to split up, but again Leo overrode him.

"We can't split up. That's exactly what they would expect us to do."

Much as he wanted to argue, Raph had to admit, Leo was right. The green-eyed turtle nodded.

After searching several dead-end tunnels to no avail, they turned down a main tunnel. There was a sharp intake of breath. Belatedly, the turtles realized that the individual in question had seen them as soon as they turned the corner. The tunnel was dimly lit and dirty (but what part of the sewers wasn't?)

* * *

Midori had been sitting in that same spot with her knees pulled up to her chest for who-knows-how-long. She felt dizzy and weak. She thought she had fallen asleep at some point, but she wasn't sure. There was no measure of certainty anymore. No way to differentiate reality from hallucination, fact from fantasy. It was just a blur. An incongruous whirl of emotions and perception.

Suddenly she heard the gentle sound of soft feet coming closer to her resting place. Is that what this is? She thought slowly, her cognizance foggy and muddled. Is there where it all ends?

Then figures came around the corner. She only saw one of them.

He looked tired. His face was drawn in weariness, his features strong, but lacking their usual power and chiseled look. His bright green eyes looked worried. Raphael.

That was all it took. The damn of emotions broke and she hurled herself at him.

"No don't! Stand down!" Raphael exclaimed as his brothers drew their weapons and prepared to attack the human who was currently barreling straight towards them. They froze in shock watching as she ran past them and flung herself straight into Raphael's arms. He reached out and steadied her, seeming frantic with worry at her emotional state. "Midori—what in the world?" he saw the dark bruises on her face, the torn shirt and the blood-stained clothing and his expression darkened, "Who did this?" The normally aggressive turtle fingered her injuries lightly and she whimpered. "Tell me, Midori, who did this?" Leo decided he had never seen Raphael do anything so gently in his entire life.

"How do you know her?" Leo asked with surprise.

"Shut up Fearless!" Raph glared at the eldest, before turning his focus back to her. "Are you alright?" she said nothing, her light form literally shaking in fear. "God, Midori, please. I don't know what to do. Tell me what you need me to do." Raphael sounded almost…desperate, prompting the other three turtles to observe the unfolding situation carefully.

"Hold me, just hold me. Please don't let go. Don't ever let me go. Just so I know you're really here." She sobbed and he obliged wrapping her in his arms whole heartedly.

"I won't, I promise. I promise. It's alright now. I'm here. I'm here." The emerald green turtle pulled her closer against his plastron for emphasis, trying to calm her.

The other turtles watched the exchange with interest, surprise, and a growing sense of concern.

Donatello took a step towards them, reaching out to examine her injuries. Midori recoiled with a whimper, making Raph's heart clench. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. He held her arms tightly, "Don't worry. Don's not gonna hurt you." She still looked uncertain, so he added, "Would I lie to you?" His green eyes stared intensely down into her fear-filled golden ones. Midori leaned into him, silently accepting his reassurance. Raph nodded to Donatello.

The brainiac glanced over the minor injuries, but when he came to the blow on the head his dark eyes met his immediate older brother's in an unreadable gaze. Raphael didn't know what was wrong, nor did he need to know. He saw in Donatello's eyes the most important thing: We have to get her to the lab…ASAP.

Raphael scooped her up into his arms. She automatically wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against his plastron. He glanced down at her with concern and turned to his older brother.

* * *

**Leo's POV**

Raphael's green eyes turned to me desperately, asking the obvious question. I stared for a long moment at my younger brother, then at the frail form currently sobbing against his shoulder, before slowly nodding my permission. The look Raph sent me was one of inestimable gratitude. Without further delay, he scooped the fragile human form into his arms and headed back to the way we had come. I motioned for Don and Mikey to follow.

Donnie nodded and went ahead, while Mikey and I walked slightly behind. "But what about patrol?"

"Sorry Mikey, but we need to make sure Raph can handle this. He might need us."

The youngest nodded before he spoke up, "I told ya it was a girl, bro." I pulled a Raph and smacked Michelangelo upside the head.

"Not a good time, Mikey." I said with a slight growl. Michelangelo raised an eye-ridge, but otherwise said nothing.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

When they got Midori into the lab, she refused to lay on the lab table, or allow Donatello to get too close.

"It's alright Midori. I promise. No one is going to hurt you. I'm right here. And Donatello is my brother. He won't hurt you. He wants to help. Please." Raph's eyes shone with earnest and she slowly began to oblige.

Ten minutes later, after Donatello had sedated her, he sent Raphael out of the lab. He said that he needed to have room to work. Though in truth, Don had realized that Raph was blaming himself more and more for what had happened to her. And the emotional strain of seeing her in such a state was proving to be too much.

Even for the strongest of the turtles.

Raph looked haggard. His skin had gone pale and he looked as though he hadn't eaten in days. Bright green eyes were dull and faded, their gleaming irises smoothed over by a foggy haze.

Leonardo was the first who dared approach him. The eldest turtle plopped down on the couch beside his younger brother and after a moment of silence said, "You do realize you'll have to explain all of this to Master Splinter?"

By 'all of this' Leo most certainly meant the fact that there was another strange human in their house.

"Once he knows who she is, he won't be able to turn her away." Raph stated. Leo regarded him quizzically, but decided to let the cryptic remark rest…for now.

"So how are you holding up?" Leo asked casually.

Raphael gave him a pointed glare.

Leonardo lowered his eyes, knowing it was a stupid question. "How long have you two been together?"

The red-banded turtle stumbled for a moment before settling on, "We ain't. She's the best friend I ever had."

"But I thought Casey was-"

Raph cut him off "Casey's my best bud, sure, but…she's the only one who's ever been able to make me feel…"

"Feel…?" Leo prodded gently, taking care not to incite Raph's volatile temper.

"It's almost as though she can take my anger away, she mitigates it somehow."

"You're serious about her aren't you?"Leonardo asked, his expression serious. His deep blue eyes glinted in the dim light.

Raphael answered with a growl. "I'm not about to give her up if that's what you mean."

Leo frowned. "I'd never ask you to do that, and that isn't what I meant. I meant you're hoping for something more aren't you?"

"No." The older turtle stared at him in confusion. Raph gave Leo a leveled stare. "Look at her, Leo. You really think someone that beautiful would be interested in some hideous mutant freak like me?!"

Deep blue eyes narrowed fractionally. "You're not a hideous mutant freak!" He gave Leo a 'really?' Look. "So you're a little rough around the edges. So what? If she returns your feelings, she'll be willing to see past all of that. And if she isn't," the leader's voice lowered in volume but heightened in intensity, "then she doesn't deserve you." Leo stood slowly, patting Raphael's shoulder gently. "Get some sleep, Raph."

* * *

The next day, Donatello called them into the lab and gave them a synopsis of her condition. Raphael's anger was steady growing through the entire explanation until all his rage, anxiousness, and worry burst out in one huge tidal wave. …Make that a tsunami.

"I'm gonna tear him limb from limb! I'm gonna ram my Sai through his sick dirty mother-fuckin heart! No, no that's not enough. I'm gonna make him suffer until he begs me to end his life quickly and I'm gonna turn my sai in the wound and let him bleed to death!" Leonardo and Donatello stared at him. Sure Raph had threatened a lot of people, but this was different, this time, he was serious.

Before they could speak or even move Raphael had tensed. The red-masked turtle ran a hand over his head and said in a calmer, more defeated tone, "What am I doin? None of this is gonna get me anywhere." He looked down at the unconscious form on the table and Leo saw his fisted grip softly tighten. A sad, woeful grin appeared at the corner of his mouth and he shrugged, his head shaking back and forth in a disturbing chuckle. His green eyes never left her face for a moment, "You see what you do to me? Even unconscious you keep me fucking sane!" The hothead lowered his head and pressed it against her hand. Whispering desperately, "I'm so sorry, Midori. I should have been there for ya. Guess I broke my promise. Said I'd help ya, well look where that got you. I'm…I'm so, so sorry."

Leonardo didn't have to look to know there were tears in Raph's eyes.

* * *

**Review Please! And Thank you all for reading! **


	24. Fight Me, Hate Me

**It was very hard to make a title for this chapter. I'm still not entirely happy with it. I think it's because there's just too much happening in this chapter for one title. Some of my other choices were (Lay your Hate on me, A Ghost from the Past, Bruised Trust, Losing Control, Heal me or Hate me, Outburst of Outrage, etc.) You probably get the idea. Please review **** Thanks! **

**P.S.: If you like any of the titles above better than the one I used, let me know and I can change it!**

* * *

**Ch.24-Fight me, Hate me**

It had been two days. Two long tortuous days. Waiting. Just waiting. There was little else he could do. Silence. The hum of a monitor tracking her vitals. The faint beep of a heart monitor. But it never quite eliminated the haunting silence that lay beneath it all.

His brothers, with the exception of Donatello, had been giving him a wide berth. No doubt they felt his distress, but had realized it would do little good to confront him. There was only one thing he was concerned with at the moment. He couldn't care less about the movements of his brothers at the moment. They were fine, they were safe. She wasn't. Not yet. And he wasn't going to relax until he knew it for certain.

Occasionally, Donatello would enter, check the instruments and record them on a clipboard. Bright green eyes would follow him slowly until he padded silently out of the room. Then they would return to the object of his concern, resting once more on her bruised facial features.

He'd overheard Leonardo explaining, rather loudly, to Master Splinter the situation at hand and made a mental note to thank the eldest later.

It's okay. Don said she should be okay. _Should._ No, she will be okay. She will. His soft green eyes watered as he wished silently, for probably the millionth time that morning that the beautiful golden eyes would open and stare into his.

Nothing happened and he let out a slow, arduous sigh. He lay his emerald green head down on the table and held her hand. He whispered softly, "Please wake up. I don't think I can take much more of seeing you like this." His eyes watered, and he kissed one of her knuckles gently.

Twelve hours later and very early in the morning, Raphael awoke in much the same position. He looked down at her still form and sighed. The turtle shifted a little and was about to settle down again when he felt the distinctive feeling that he was being watched. He glanced around, but there was no one. Raph shook his head. I'm hallucinating.

His eyes bugged out of his head as he looked down and found two golden eyes glancing up at him through tired eyes. "Midori," he breathed in relief cradling her hand gently.

"Raph," she rasped dryly, "W-what…?"

"Sh…" Raph cooed gently. "You want some water?"

She nodded weakly. Raph stood and went to the pitcher Don kept in his lab for when he was spending long periods of time working on a project. Don had filled it up once he realized Raph would be staying in the laboratory for a while.

"I'm gonna help ya sit up a little. If it hurts, tell me and I'll put you down."

Midori nodded, dazedly. She let out a slight grunt, but showed no signs of any pain as he lifted her torso gently. He slowly guided a small cup of water to her lips. Her hand rose and rested lightly over his as she drank slowly. When she was done she pushed his hand away gently.

Then she spoke once more, her voice clearer, though still weak. "What happened?"

Raphael blinked slowly. "You don't remember?" He wasn't sure what to do. _Should I lie? Or do I tell her the truth and let it haunt her?_

She shook her head softly, as if trying to clear her thoughts. After a brief pause she began, a look of the utmost concentration on her bruised face. "I got home and changed out of my suit. I went into the office, hacked into the computer," her mind went blank and she let out a huff of frustration.

"Easy," Raph chided gently, "don't hurt yourself. It'll come back to you, don't force it."

She sat in silence for a while. Then she breathed in a horrified gasp followed by a whimper. Raphael stroked her hand comfortingly.

"Then what?"

Her hand clung to his desperately, she looked at him with terrified eyes. "Uncle Ryuu he—" Golden eyes began to water and Raph pulled her towards him as she was now sitting up, for the most part, on her own. Midori brought her legs up into a fetal position and clung to him, crying into his plastron.

Raph rubbed soothing circles into her back gently, desperately trying to ebb the flow her tears._ I really hate seeing her cry_, he thought decidedly as his heart clenched with guilt. This was all his fault._ If I'd only realized sooner…_

"I found out he was connected to the Foot." Midori whispered, forcibly slowing her sobs and staring at her best friend with tear-clouded eyes. "He said that—he was the one who poisoned my mother. He said it was because he couldn't stand the fact that she still loved my Father even after she'd seen him betray the Foot. He was—intensely attracted to her, and he said that I looked just like her and then—" Her voice, which had been growing increasingly anxious, broke and she went silent.

Raphael's heart dropped to his stomach as he read the implications of that uncharacteristic silence. For a moment the turtle just stared, his eyes filled with shock, disgust and rage.

As she flinched away, he realized she'd misinterpreted the source of his feelings, so he spoke out, "That dirty bastard! What did he do? Did he—" Midori lowered her head prompting him to shut up. When all he saw were silent tears running down her cheeks shadowed by a wave of straight black hair, he reached out tentatively with one hand. A large, green finger slowly traced below her jaw, and tipped her face upward. He stared straight down into her eyes and saw the anguish. His emerald green forehead rested ever so lightly against hers.

When he spoke, it was no more than a whisper. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there."

Gold met sparkling emerald. "He would have hurt you."

"But then he wouldn't have—"

She cut him off sharply, "He never got that far."

Raph's eyes were dark and unreadably. "He got far enough."

Midori pulled her eyes away. "To derail me? Yes. To hurt me? Yes. To scar me?" She paused for a moment before adding an almost inaudible "Yes." Her eyes flashed and her voice rose a little as she met his gaze once more. "But not enough to break me."

"I never said he had." Raph countered calmly. "But he got far enough change the way you think about things."

Her anger and her volume rose. "I don't need you to tell me about what he did! I was there, unlike you."

That comment stung. It hit Raph right in his most vulnerable spot, and she knew it. He pushed his anger down, deciding she had every right to say so.

"I'm sorry." He muttered.

"Clearly I don't need you at all. You obviously don't bring me any help when I need it! If I can survive what I did without your help, I obviously don't need you!"

Raph's eyes narrowed and he growled. Now she was asking for it. "I saved your life. I found you in that tunnel and if it wasn't for me-"

She cut him off, "So what? I saved your life when you fell into the river. Now we're even!" Her lips were curled in an angry snarl and she practically spat the words at him.

Raphael's anger was slowly building and he lost control. His fists clenched. The knuckles went white. "FUCK YOU!" He yelled, blowing up.

Obviously, given the circumstances that wasn't the best thing to say, and she recoiled as though struck.

The enraged turtle took deep breaths, his voice still coming out angry and caustic as a whip, "Don't think I don't understand what you're trying to do! I'm smarter than you think! You're trying to recover by blaming someone else. Instead of blaming it all on yourself, you're looking for a scapegoat. You wanna hurt someone the way you've been hurt. You want to hate someone with every cell in your body. If that's what you want then fine. Go ahead and blame it all on me! Blame everything on me if it makes ya feel any better! I'll take it! Go ahead and hate me! Hate the world that's all around you! Hate everyone and everything." By now Raphael's eyes were glowing and he moved away from the table with a growl. "Once you start there's no going back. So go ahead. Fill yourself with hate like the rest of the human race." His voice was now chillingly calm. "Honestly, I'm astonished you didn't start sooner."

Midori stared in shocked silence. Her anger evaporated. Raph's bright eyes, still blazing with anger regarded her disdainfully before he turned and stormed from the room.

"Raphael!" she called, but he pretended not to hear, and left.

* * *

Less than five minutes later a tall, thin turtle walked briskly into the room. He approached the table, and frowned down at her, seemingly miffed.

When he spoke she realized it was not just miffed, but genuinely irate. "Raphael has been waiting almost three days for you wake up and when you do you hurt him so bad he can't even think straight." She stared back up into his angry glare in silence. "I hope you understand I don't exactly feel like helping you at the moment." Midori just stared back at him silently. Donatello raised an eye-ridge and frowned once more. "Alright, if you don't have anything to say for yourself, I'll just check up on your wounds."

The turtle came towards her and she pulled away. The scrawny turtle frowned. "Either you let me examine your injuries, or I'll have to get Raph back in here to hold you in place, and considering that fact that you're probably the last person he wants to see at the moment, he probably won't be kind about it."

Midori crossed her arms and glared at the turtle, without a word. But this time, when he tried to look at her wounds, she didn't pull away.

"I hope you realize you'll have to apologize to him later." The turtle muttered as he unwrapped the bandages on her shoulder.

"I don't believe I should apologize to him for anything." She said angrily, rather like a child who was pouting.

The turtle jerked back, slightly surprised. Then his eyes narrowed. That's it. Raph's crush or not, no one had the right to treat hurt his brother and not think twice about it. He grabbed her arm with a firm grip, careful not to jar her shoulder. "Now you see here! This is our house, and if you can't treat my brother decently, then I don't think you'll be staying here long. Because I, for one, won't stand for it."

Midori's lip curled into a snarl. "I'm not afraid of you, twit."

"Why you-"

The scrawny turtle raised a hand, probably to push her back down on the table, when an emerald green hand grabbed his wrist.

"Get out Don." Raph growled.

"But the bandage—" The turtle called 'Don' began, looking reluctant to leave.

Raph's green eyes flicked up and met Don's brown ones. "Go ahead Donnie. I'll take care of it."

Donnie gave Raphael a rather unsure look, but acquiesced.

After the purple-masked turtle had left, Raph turned back to her. She stared at him silently. His shoulders drooped exhaustedly and she could still see a little anger, but mostly hurt in his eyes. His knuckles were bleeding. Guilt began to turn her stomach. Midori reached out towards him, and he skillfully dodged, purposely avoiding her gaze. He began replacing the bandages, his hands gentle and slow.

"I'm sorry." He murmured. "I had no right to say all of that. You don't deserve it, you're not yourself. You've been through an ordeal and I…"

Her hard, angry gaze softened and the anger faded away. "No Raph I…" Her hands grasped at his, prompting him to look down into her eyes. "I don't deserve your friendship." Raphael said nothing but lowered his gaze. She put her arms around him, as best she could from where she sat. "I'm so sorry."

Raph returned the hug, but still gave no answer. Midori accepted that. Raphael may have forgiven her, but he wasn't about to forget what she had said.

She stared up at him, his gaze still reluctant and slightly hurt. "Get some sleep." He stated stoically. "I'll introduce you to everyone in the morning." Midori nodded.

As she fell asleep she thought to herself. _Midori you moron, you just led your best friend to doubt his trust in you. _Well there's no going back now. Raph's been hurt. _And it looks like I'll have to earn back that trust._

* * *

The turtles slept in the next morning. At breakfast, Donatello relayed his experience treating Midori the night before to his brothers. Leonardo frowned. Mikey was straight-faced, but that was usually about as close to a frown as he got.

"I don't know Don, maybe she's not that bad, I mean, she has been through a tough beating." Mikey said, trying to retain a positive outlook.

Leo scowled, "That's no excuse for bad behavior. And it certainly isn't an excuse for treating Raphael like dirt after he saved her life."

"Shut up Leo." Came a rough growl.

They all turned and looked at Raphael.

Leonardo was not impressed. He didn't want his brother interested in a girl who was only going to hurt him. "Don't you take her side Raph. She obviously doesn't deserve…"

"You don't know her." Raph muttered, and left it at that.

"I'm not sure I want to." Leo replied with a worried note in his voice he knew only Raphael would catch. Raph made a mental note to talk to Leo later.

Raph grunted and turned towards the lab. He opened the door slowly and approached the lab table. One thick green finger poked Midori's arm gently.

She woke and turned to him with a rather sleepy glare on her face. "What?" she whined like a little kid.

Raph couldn't help but grin. "It's time to get up."

Midori sat up slowly and glanced around, for the first time since yesterday noticing her dirty and torn clothing. She frowned. "I don't suppose you have any spare clothes lying around?" She asked, looking up at him hopefully.

"I'll ask our friend April to bring some later."

Midori pouted, but nodded acceptance. She held an arm out to him and he helped her up, letting her lean on him for help since being on lab table for a few days had thrown her balance slightly off.

As they slowly made their way into the main room, Midori saw three turtles. Raph's brothers, no doubt. They don't look happy to see me. She thought to herself. Well why would they after last night? Scrawny probably told them all about it.

Raph set her down on the couch and gestured the other turtles to come over. They did so, reluctantly. The red-banded turtle was about to walk away, but her hand shot out and caught his wrist. He looked at her inquiringly. Her eyes pleaded him to stay and sit with her, so he did so.

She looked up at the other turtles slowly. Two of them were frowning at her and the last looked almost…excited.

Raph began slowly. "Midori, these are my brothers. Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo." He said, gesturing to the forms in front of her from left to right.

'Leonardo' crossed his arms. "I'm not so sure what to think of you…Midori. Raph trusts you, but last night…"

Midori held up a hand. "About that. I acted disgracefully. I was…I lost control." She felt a hand on her shoulder, and glanced over at Raphael with an apologetic look.

Donatello's hard brown-eyed gaze softened. "I, well I wasn't exactly considerate."

Midori laughed bitterly, prompting Raphael to send her a rather concerned stare. "No less than I deserved."

Before Michelangelo could pounce on her and start asking hundreds of questions, a soft shuffle made everyone turn towards the dojo.

Master Splinter walked towards them. "Good morning, my sons." Then his gaze moved down to the figure on the couch. He froze. His eyes widened and his face paled. "Hikari…" the rat said, his voice fading into nothingness. His eyes widened even more as he realized who she really was.

As soon as he said her mother's name Midori realized that this was him. "My mother used to tell me stories about you. About the great Hamato Yoshi. She said that whenever she needed you, you were there. She never stopped believing you were alive."

The turtles, with the exception of Raphael, looked shocked.

"You have your father's eyes." Master Splinter stated, staring at her intently.

"She used to tell me that you could fix everything. That you'd always come to the rescue and defend someone in danger."

"I am no hero." He whispered and turned away.

Midori jumped up, doing her best to balance, walking towards him, slowly. She reached out slowly to put a hand on his shoulder, but ended up pulling back. "Maybe not, but you were our hope." Master Splinter stared at the ground. "She always thought of you as a brother. Hardly a day went by where she didn't mention my uncle Yoshi."

"We have cousins?! Sweet!" Mikey blurted out, excitedly.

Raph glared at him intensely. The youngest shut up.

Leo just stared confusedly, "Sensei, you mind filling us in? We're kinda lost here."

Master Splinter finally turned around and looked at her again. "Perhaps you would care to explain, Midori."

Midori was about to begin, but she did a double-take and stared at him for a moment. "How did you…?"

The old rat smiled. "Your mother always said if she ever had a girl, she would name her Midori. Though, tell me, why do you speak of her in the past tense?"

The human teenager's golden eyes watered, her throat tightened. She felt someone coming up and wrapping their arms around her. She pressed into Raphael's gentle embrace and lowered her gaze.

Hamato Yoshi did the same, a few tears leaving his eyes. "I see. Then it is as I had feared."

The other turtles, too, were silent.

"I assume you have discovered that your uncle is still under Shredder's control?"

Midori's eyes flashed and she nodded.

"And what do you intend to do?" He asked softly.

"Heal." She stated after a few moments.

"You have nowhere to go?"

Her piercing golden eyes stared at him seriously. "Ryuu was my only family."

Master Splinter raised an eyebrow at that. "You no longer see him as family?"

Midori's glare hardened. "Ryuu is dead." her voice was stoic and cold. "Dragon is all that's left now."

Sensei nodded. "You have nowhere to go?"

"Where could I go? I have no close friends I could stay with. I have my hideout, but I suspect Dragon will find some way of locating it."

"Hm." Master Splinter closed his eyes and stroked his beard.

"That's a lie." Raph stated coolly.

Midori turned towards him, inquiringly.

Raphael put his hands on her shoulders, being mindful of her bandages. "You have me. I'm your best friend, and I'm not about to leave you. You'll stay here." The turtle glanced at his brothers, and they nodded. Then he turned to Master Splinter.

The old rat opened his eyes. He glanced from his second son to the young, rather too-thin teenager before them. It was difficult for him to stare into the auric gaze without memories of her father surfacing in his mind.

All eyes moved to Master Splinter as he spoke slowly. "Of course. She will stay."

* * *

**Review please! Thanks for reading everyone! **


	25. Getting Acquainted

**Here you go guys! Sorry it took so long. Review please. Thanks everyone! **

**This chapter is pretty much fluff, but it's cute. And fun. Midori and Leonardo interact a little bit, and Raphael has a surprise for his best friend.**

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**Ch. 25-Getting Acquainted**

For the first few days after Midori had awoken the turtle lair was quiet. She slept most of the day, and most of the night too, for that matter. Raphael was worried and kept pestering Donatello about it.

The purple banded turtle had to almost constantly reassure his older brother that, yes, it was completely normal for her to sleep so much after a traumatic experience. Honestly, Raphael should be thankful that she wasn't suffering from nightmares or insomnia…yet. She probably wouldn't reach that stage until after her physical injuries had begun to heal. Because after the injuries had healed, there would be nothing else for her to focus on. Only her experience.

But even Don's rational reassurances didn't comfort him much. Raph wouldn't be satisfied until he could see that Midori was recovering for himself.

And he hadn't seen much of her lately.

But then again, he'd been occupied as well. He was working on a…surprise for Midori. He'd been working on it for the past few days.

* * *

On the fourth morning, Midori woke up relatively early. It was almost eleven in the morning. She wandered out into the main room. She stumbled as she was bombarded by the bright light. When her eyes came back into focus she realized that it was empty.

The shuffle of feet in the next room prompted her to wander towards it. She poked her head around the door frame and took a look inside. It appeared to be the kitchen. Midori took a few tentative steps inside and glanced around.

Leonardo popped up from the behind the counter, startling her. He must have been bending over, so it had appeared as though the room was empty.

But it obviously wasn't.

Midori was completely tense. She stared at the eldest with shocked eyes.

Leonardo held up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's okay!" He said hurriedly. Midori visibly relaxed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's good to see you up and about."

She made a sound of agreement.

It struck Leo that she was strangely quiet. "You okay?"

Midori nodded distractedly. The comic on the counter had caught her attention. "You like Space Heroes?" She asked, her golden eyes gleaming almost hopefully.

He stared blankly at her for a moment. Finally the eldest cleared his throat and answered. "Yes."

Midori exploded with excitement. "Oh my gosh! That is so awesome! I'm like the biggest Space Heroes fan ever! My favorite comic is the one with the time portal where captain Ryan has to save the ship, the crew and the alien planet!"

Leo's eyes were wide. So was his smile. "I LOVE that comic! It's so awesome! Like when he sacrifices himself for the others."

She grinned excitedly. "And then that thing brings him back from the dead cause it wasn't his time!"

They both squealed with excitement. Leonardo wasn't even bothered by the fact that he sounded too much like a girl. He was overjoyed just to have someone to share his excitement with. As minutes turned to hours the two of them moved on to more serious topics.

"A ninja's honor is his greatest asset. Without it he cannot call himself a ninja."

"I agree, but sometimes a ninja has to sacrifice his principles to maintain his honor." Midori stated.

They were both seated at the counter in the kitchen with warm cups of coffee within reach.

Leonardo then added as an afterthought. "But if honor is created by principles how can one afford to do that?"

"It's all a matter of how you look at yourself. There are some who believe they cannot retain their honor by sacrificing their principles, while on the other hand in certain situations the only way to protect one's honor is by crossing boundaries. By taking a risk."

Leonardo was silent as he mulled that over.

Midori went on. "Honor is ambiguous. Everyone has their own definition."

Leonardo nodded in agreement. Then he smiled.

Midori raised a questioning eyebrow.

Leo's smile grew as he explained. "And I thought we wouldn't get along."

Midori smirked. "Turns out you were wrong, sword boy."

Leo smiled again, a little wider. "Yeah, sure was."

Midori's smile was bright enough to light up a room. Her cheeks colored. She tore her gaze away and murmured, "You don't have to be so nice to me."

"Hey, Raph trusts you with his life." Leo stated evenly. "Raphael's trust isn't easily won."

Again she avoided his gaze. When she finally spoke, her voice was low. "Your brother has been a better friend to me than…well anyone. He's so caring. That is, he would literally do anything for me."

Leo's smile dampened a little. He spoke softly and gently. "You know he cares a whole lot about you."

Midori was silent.

Leonardo continued. "I hope you're aware that Raphael feels things very deeply."

Again she was silent.

"Please don't hurt him. He's gotten so attached to you. Everyone knows it. It's pretty obvious."

Midori's cheeks turned red. Beet red. "Raph and I have always had a strange trust in one another. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I bruised that trust when I snapped at him the day I woke up."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. Raphael can be very sensitive sometimes. But don't you worry. He still sees you as his closest friend. Just give him a little time. He'll come around."

Midori frowned. "I hope so."

Leo put a hand on her shoulder gently. "He will. Don't worry."

She smiled at him, her eyes brightly gleaming.

The sound of loud voices made them look up. Raph and Casey came into the room.

"Oh there you are." Raph stated, he said to Midori, acknowledging Leo's presence with a questioning glance. "How did you get in here?"

Midori sent him a bland stare. "Same way you just did. I walked."

Green eyes narrowed. "You're not supposed to be walking yet. You could hurt yourself or reopen your wounds."

Midori sighed. "Relax Raph. Just relax. Nothing happened."

"Just because nothing happened this time, doesn't mean it will be the same next time. Please Midori, you have to be more careful."

Midori smiled. "I'll be fine, Raph. You don't have to worry about me. It's sweet of you to be so concerned." She kissed him on the cheek. Raphael turned a different shade of green.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well I…I care about you. I'm worried and I want to help you."

She grinned endearingly at Raphael. For a moment, Leonardo was certain he'd glimpsed a flash of something more than friendship in her eyes.

Silence spread between them. Raphael looked her up and down inquiringly. "Are those…April's clothes?"

Midori blushed. "Yeah. They're not very comfortable."

His bottom lip pushed out a little in a frown. "They don't suit you."

"Yeah, they're not quite my style." She agreed. "Unfortunately, I haven't got anything else."

"Oh yes you do. Come with me." The red masked ninja took her hand gently and led her down the hall to a door. He turned back towards her, "Close your eyes."

She wondered why, but did as he said obediently.

Raph opened the door and led her through. "Don't open until I say so." He fixed a few things around the room, and made sure everything was just the way it was supposed to be. "Alright open them."

Midori did. She stared. It was…beautiful. It was the most wonderful thing anyone had ever done for her. Her eyes began to tear up. She turned to her best friend. Joy lit up her face. Her smile alone was enough to make Raph's heart rate increase. She was stunningly radiant. "You did all of this…for me?"

"Of course I did. You're..." Raph stopped himself and changed the wording. "Your happiness means a lot to me."

She beamed at him. "But how?"

"You've been sleeping a lot lately. While you slept…" Understanding dawned on her.

The room was beautiful. The walls were dark red with a black cityscape in the foreground complete with roads and the occasional vehicle.

It was amazing.

Midori stared open-mouthed for a moment as she examined the detail. "Who painted this?"

Raph looked surprised. "I did."

"I didn't know that you could paint." She said surprised.

The hothead shrugged. "Eh, I dabble." He was named after a famous painter, after all.

"It's incredible."

Raphael moved on, not particularly comfortable with discussing his artistic abilities. "I took April to your hideout we got your suit and she was about to use it to estimate your measurements." He nodded towards a dresser in the corner. "Take a look."

Midori raised an eyebrow inquiringly but did as the turtle said. She opened the drawer. Her eyes practically bugged out of her head. She lifted a long-sleeved red top out of the drawer. There were shirts, pants, shorts, tank-tops, even a leather jacket folded neatly in the corner. Golden eyes clouded with tears. "Oh Raph, they're beautiful! And they're all just my style!"

"I hope they fit." He replied.

"I'm sure they will. Thank you so much! How on earth did you manage this?"

"April went out and bought them. I told her exactly what your style was. There's undergarments in one of those drawers, too. April took care of that herself. I thought it best to leave that to her" His cheeks reddened a little, but Midori ignored it.

"Raph, how did you get the money for all of this? I hope April didn't have to pay for it herself."

"She didn't. It came straight out of my savings, don't worry."

"You…" her voice faded away in awe. She cleared her throat and then asked, "What were you saving up for?"

"Don't worry about it." Raph answered, rather too quickly.

Midori closed the drawer and moved over to her best friend. She took his hand gently. "Please Raph. I'd like to know."

Raph smiled. "A motorcycle." He answered. "Consider it my payment for the Ducati."

Tears of joy filled her eyes. "Oh Raphael!" She leaped towards him, throwing her arms around his neck.

Even though he weighed nearly twice as much, the turtle was almost toppled by Midori's hug. His face was getting warmer and warmer by the second. When she stared up into his eyes with complete and utter adoration, his resolve cracked.

He bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. They already had their arms wrapped around each other from the hug. Raphael could feel Midori stiffening. He saw her eyes had gone wide with surprise. Raph waited for her to pull away gently.

Strangely enough, she leaned into the embrace and lifted her head up slightly. Her lips were only centimetres from his. Raph leaned in a little closer probingly. He didn't want to force anything on her. To Raphael's surprise Midori closed the space between them.

The kiss was beautifully chaste and soft. Raphael's heart was flying. It was even more amazing than he had imagined. Adrenaline coursed through him and he allowed one of his hands to run down her side softly.

Unfortunately, memories swept back through Midori's mind. Memories of her uncle's twisted obsession with her mother. She jerked away from the turtle, her heart pounding with trepidation.

When Midori pulled out of the kiss, Raph's eyes flicked open. He immediately recognized terror had filled her expression. At first he thought it was directed towards him, but after a minute he realized her mind was no longer in the room with him. Raph reached out for her, but she pulled away.

Then Midori realized what had happened and, more importantly, who she was with. Her tensed muscles relaxed.

"You okay?" Raph asked. She nodded an affirmative. He continued. "I should have known it would trigger a flashback. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Midori whispered, putting a finger to Raph's lips.

He stared.

"I didn't mind." She stated. "Um…If it's all the same to you, I'd really like to change clothes."

It took a few seconds for him to register what had been said before comprehension dawned on him. "Oh, yeah, sure. You do that. I'll be in my room." He said hurriedly. He dashed out the door as quickly as he could. His face was almost as red as his mask.

Midori smiled after him, shaking her head. Then she brought her hand up to her lips. She wasn't exactly sure what that kiss had meant, but something was starting to change between her and Raphael. Somehow, she had a feeling it was a change for the better…

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**Review please!**


	26. Welcome to the Family

**Hey guys sorry it's been so long everyone. I've just finished all of my end of the year exams! Yay! So let's celebrate with a new chapter! Please enjoy this chapter and be sure to review!**

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**Ch. 26-Welcome to the Family**

I assumed that Raphael had dragged Midori off to show her the room he'd been setting up for her. That's probably why he was in such a hurry. He practically completely ignored me. But that's okay. He had more…important things on his mind.

I smiled. Can't say as I blame him. She's quite a girl.

I discovered that I liked Midori. She was much nicer than I thought she would be, and we had a lot in common. I was no longer worried about how she treated Raph. I could see that her outburst the first day of her recovery was exactly that, an outburst. Overall, I think she'll be good for Raphael. If anything, she might be able to improve his social skills. Get him to open up a little. It would really help us if we could learn to understand him a little better.

I glanced up as Raphael returned. His face was red as a tomato. I raised an eye-ridge at him. Raph's eyes caught my questioning gaze and his blush intensified. That only made me more curious.

Suddenly pieces fell into place in my head and I smirked. "So…" I began. "Still think she's not interested?" I said, a shit-eating grin on my face.

Raph glared at me and I knew I was right.

"Oh come off it, little brother." I said with a chuckle. "Sit down, and tell big brother Leo everything." I stated teasingly.

Surprisingly Raphael sat down without making a fuss. There was a short silence before I prompted him. "Well?"

"Well what?"

My eyes narrowed. "Quit stalling Raph."

Raph smiled and it warmed my heart. Smiles like that were rare coming from my hotheaded little brother. "Alright, alright. I showed her the room."

"And?"

"And she liked it. She loved the clothes too."

I nodded, motioning him to continue.

"And then she—" Raph's face went beet red. I smirked. He shifted nervously. I watched with extreme amusement. "She k-k-kissed me." He blurted out.

"Congrats." I said with a smile.

Raph refused to meet my gaze. Obviously he was embarrassed enough as it was. Time to change the subject. "Where is she?" I asked, glancing around.

"She's changing. She doesn't like April's clothes much." Raph stated evenly.

I couldn't help but laugh at the truth of the statement. "Yeah. Definitely not her style at all. Honestly yellow doesn't suit her personality."

Raphael gave me a strange look and I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. A short silence spread between us until Raph asked, "So what were you two talking about? Ya know, when Casey and I got here?"

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously and let out a strange chuckle. Raph always made fun of me for liking Space Heroes, so I was kinda reluctant to mention that Midori and I were fan-freaking for over an hour and a half. Then of course we'd gotten started on the whole 'honor' stuff, and then…Raph came home.

"YO LEO! Earth to Leo!"

"Huh?" I said, belatedly realizing that Raph was calling me. "What?"

"I asked you a question, dumbass!" He growled, swatting me upside the head playfully.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. So um…well first we talked about cool stuff and then we talked about the nature of honor, and then I told her that I thought she was good for you."

Raph absorbed that for a moment before, ever so slowly, he asked, "What kind of 'cool stuff'?"

I'm pretty sure my face turned another shade of green. Oh well. No use hiding it now. "Space Heroes, alright? We were talking about Space Heroes."

His eyes widened and he stared. Finally he grumbled and groaned. Then he spoke up. "Great. Now there's two geeks in the same house."

I rolled my eyes. Then I smirked at the thought, "Yeah, and one of them is your girlfriend. So I'd be careful what you say about Space Heroes from now on."

"Stupid show." He muttered.

"It is not a stupid show!"

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**Third Person POV**

About ten minutes later Donnie and Mikey appeared at the lair entrance to find the two oldest turtles rolling about on the floor like a couple of brawling children.

April stood between the two younger turtles, staring the rolling mass of red blue and green on the floor. "What's going on here?"

At that moment Casey Jones emerged from the kitchen with a coke in his hand. He glanced over at the others. April frowned and crossed her arms as she glowered at the other human teenager. "Why haven't you done anything about it?" She asked Casey angrily.

Jones shrugged. "They've been at it for the past ten minutes. I tried to reason with them, but they're completely ignoring me."

"Stupid show!" Raph growled and everyone turned their attention back to the wrestling turtles on the floor.

"I…said…it…is…not…a…stupid…show!" Leo retorted. His words were halted as he struggled to pin down his stubborn younger brother.

"What is going on in here?!" A new voice stated.

The two eldest brothers froze. Leo, who had pinned Raph down to the floor, let out a cry of surprise as Raphael pushed him off and stood up. Raph turned to face the speaker, and his jaw dropped. His heart rate skyrocketed and he could feel his face heating up. Unfortunately for Raphael, everyone saw the blush on his cheeks and turned around.

Midori smiled. Raph's green eyes were wide. She looked absolutely…stunning.

She wore a dark red top that was slightly see-through, and underneath she wore a matching bandeau. The shirt was long sleeved, with sleeves that widened on the way down. Tight black leggings with a dark red stripe down the side accentuated her lithe figure.

"_Tatmotsu, what's going on?" _She asked, addressing Raphael in Japanese.

"_It's not important. Don't worry about it."_ Raph replied, also in Japanese.

"Tatmotsu?" Don asked, confused.

"It means protector or defender doesn't it?" Leo wondered aloud with an eyebrow raised. The eldest wasn't really seeking confirmation. He was trying to get an explanation by leading Raph to answer.

Raphael ignored his older brother's comment, focusing solely on the attractive young woman in front of him. Her hair was straight and glossy, tied loosely in the back with a hair tie.

Midori noticed the way Raph was staring at her and a blush rose in her cheeks. She whispered_, "I don't know how to thank you."_

"_You don't have to. I told you, consider it a fair trade."_

"_There's nothing fair about it. You sacrificed a lot to help me out. I owe a lot to you, Tatmotsu." _

Raph smiled. _"Why do you call me that?"_

Midori smirked and walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. _"Because it's what you are. Isn't it?"_

Raph returned the hug slowly.

Everyone else in the room stared open-mouthed. Raphael was actually hugging someone.

Mikey turned to Leonardo and waggled his eye-ridges suggestively. Leo face-palmed. Leave it to Mikey to see a friendly hug as a declaration of love. Still, Leonardo smiled. Things were looking up for Raphael.

"_Protecting people is in my blood, or my genes, or something. I do it with everyone. My father, my brothers, April, Casey…"_ He went silent for a moment, avoiding her gaze as he added, _"you. I'd do anything to protect the people I care about." _Raph whispered. Slowly, his bright green eyes moved upward and their gazes locked. Midori smiled, her long thin fingers stroking a strand of her hair. The way she stared at him told the emerald green turtle that she didn't even realize she was doing it. Raph couldn't help but smile. She looked so cute. Internally, the hotheaded turtle couldn't believe he was even thinking that, but it was the truth.

"_Your Japanese has improved, my son." _Another voice said, interrupting the moment.

Raphael's face reddened with embarrassment and Midori smiled at her friend's flustered expression. "I've been practicing." He stated, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Indeed, I can tell. Even your accent has improved. I am very pleased to see you finally using your second language."

Raph shrugged and gestured towards Midori, "She started it."

Midori laughed heartily and the others looked as though they were waiting for an explanation. She smiled and obliged them, "One night, after a particularly hard run, Raph and I were in my hideout. I started saying some rather crude things in Japanese as I was tending my injuries and Raphael almost died with laughter." She sent the turtle in question a bland stare and slowly broke into a smile. "Once I learned he could actually understand what I was saying I just started talking to him. But after a couple of times, he still answered me in English so I just assumed he could only understand it." Midori crossed her arms and gave Raph a stern stare. "Imagine my surprise when he actually responded in fluent Japanese."

Raph shrugged it off and muttered, "I wouldn't exactly say fluent…"

Midori shook her head and punched him good-naturedly in the shoulder. "Yes you are." She moved her face within inches of his and whispered, "Don't be so modest." Raphael's cheeks reddened slightly. Midori decided to give the hothead a moment to compose himself, so she turned towards Master Splinter. "I like being able to speak both and know that the person I'm talking to doesn't mind."

The old rat smiled. "Well, rest assured my child, you are welcome to speak either. All four of my sons are fluent. Unfortunately for me, they do not speak nearly as much as I would like them to. It will please me to hear a little more Japanese around the lair."

Midori gave Splinter a respectful bow and a small smile. "I'd be honored to, Hamato-san."

"Midori, you may call me Sensei or Master Splinter."

Midori's grin melted into a full smile. Michelangelo squealed and all eyes turned towards the youngest turtle. He bounced over to Midori and put an arm around her shoulders, and squeezed her in a kind of sideways hug. Golden eyes widened with surprise and she stared at Mikey in shock. "Welcome to the family, cousin!" Mikey pulled her into a real hug and she stiffened.

Midori waited for Mikey to let go, but he didn't. She sent Raph a flat stare. "He always like this?"

Raph smiled, "Always."

She rolled her eyes and tried to push the orange-masked turtle off. It didn't work. "You mind helping me out here?" Midori said blandly.

Raph smirked and shook his head. "No, I don't think I will."

Honey-colored eyes narrowed and glared at him.

Casey grinned, "I don't know Raph, she looks pretty pissed."

Midori stared at the other human teenagers wonderingly, so Raph spoke up, "Midori, this is Casey and that's April."

"Thanks for getting me the clothes, and for lending me yours too." She said to April.

April brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "Don't mention it. If any of them don't fit let me know and I can exchange them."

"Thanks, but I think they'll be fine." She replied, still struggling to get Michelangelo to let go. Her attempt yielded the same results as before and Midori let out a growl of frustration. "Raphael, so help me, if you don't get your little brother off, I won't speak to you for a month!" He only smiled and Midori glared, "I mean it, Raphael."

"Fine." He acquiesced, holding his hands up in surrender. It took the red-masked turtle exactly half-a-minute to pry the youngest turtle away from Midori. "Idiot." He muttered as he whacked his younger brother upside the head before letting him go.

The Japanese teenager sighed with relief as she was freed and turned back towards April. "I really appreciate the clothes."

April smiled, "Trust me, the clothes were all Raphael's idea. I was just the go for. He sure does know your style; he was telling me exactly what kind of stuff to buy and what not to buy. You have a very unique taste in clothes."

Midori grinned and her eyes sparkled. Raph stared. Casey smirked at his friend. Man, he's got it bad, Casey thought. When Case returned from his thoughts, two golden eyes were sizing him up thoughtfully. "This one doesn't talk much, does he?" she said.

"Who says?" Casey snapped.

"Ah he speaks." She stated exaggeratedly.

"You have a pretty big mouth, don't ya?"

Midori smiled mischievously, "I dare you to lay one on me." She said, getting in a ready stance.

Two emerald green arms shot out, holding both of them back. "Stand down Case." Raph stated, sending his friend a bright-eyed warning glance. Then the second eldest turtle wheeled around to face Midori, "You throw one punch and I'll have Donatello sedate you. You are in absolutely no condition to be—"

"Don't tell me what condition I'm in. I know better than anyone. I'd be fine."

"Midori please just stand down. For me?" he asked, his neon green eyes gently pleading. Midori sighed and took a step back. There was no way she could refuse that face, or that voice for that matter.

From the sidelines, Leonardo smiled widely. Those two are perfect for each other.

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	27. You won't lose me

**So here is chapter 27. The feels. First half is in third person second half is in Leonardo's POV. Please enjoy and review! Sorry I haven't been updating a lot of my fics lately but my graduation so close and I am so excited, but there's just so much to do! Next week I'll be out of town so I probably won't be able to update, but I promise I'll try and update all of my ongoing stories before I leave! Please Review!**

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**Ch. 23-You Won't Lose Me**

The quiet sounds of movement in the dojo started very early the next morning. Midori emerged from her room with a loud yawn. She ventured out into the main room and immediately glanced towards the sliding doors to the dojo.

Just as she was about to go inside, Michelangelo entered the room. "Hey cuz!" When he received no reply, Mikey followed Midori's gaze curiously towards the dojo. He shrugged it off. "Eh, don't worry about it. Leo's probably just getting some early training in before breakfast. Happens more often than you'd think."

Midori nodded, but said nothing.

"You're really quiet." Mikey stated flatly, staring at her with big, bright, blue eyes.

Midori shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a slow riser. It takes a little while for my brain to charge up."

"Huh. That's not a problem for me!" the youngest turtle said cheerfully. He reached out and grabbed Midori's hand dragging her off towards the kitchen. "Come on! Let's get cooking!"

Bout ten minutes later, the smell of breakfast permeated the air and the other members of the Hamato clan began to stir. Sensei was the first to show up, followed by Donatello. As Leonardo entered the kitchen and took a seat at the counter Midori placed a plate in front of him. The eldest turtle smiled. "Well this is what I call first class service."

She beamed at him. "Service with a smile." Midori replied cheekily. She took a seat next to Leonardo leaving an empty seat on her other side for Raphael…whenever he decided to wake up. Midori changed the topic, "So how did your training go this morning?" she asked Leo.

The forest green turtle blinked and raised an eye ridge. "What?"

Mikey and Midori exchanged confused glances. Finally the youngest spoke up, haltingly. "You mean that that wasn't you training in the dojo when we got up this morning?"

Leo stared wide-eyed and shook his head.

Midori's bottom lip pushed out in a befuddled expression.

At the sound of a light chuckle, all eyes turned to Master Splinter. "There is a very simple solution, my sons. One of us is absent, and he is the one currently training in the dojo."

Everyone stared, wide-eyed.

"Raph?" Donnie asked, his voice disbelieving.

Midori let out a quiet 'hm,' considerably less surprised than the others. "Honestly," she rolled her eyes. "Raphael trains more than anyone I've ever met in my entire life."

"Leo usually trains even more…" Donnie stated informatively.

She glanced at Leonardo. "Wow, Master Splinter must really work you hard." Midori observed.

There was silence for a moment. Four pairs of eyes followed Midori as she pushed herself up from the table. Her golden eyes stared calmly back at them. "If Raph waits any longer his breakfast will get cold. I'll go get him."

"I'll go with you." Leonardo stated, pushing himself up from the table and trailing after her.

"Me too." Mikey said excitedly as he jumped up and chased them.

Donatello followed close behind, looking meekly back at Sensei and muttering, "I'm gonna just—I'll go make sure—um, I'll be right back."

Master Splinter rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled. "Kids." Before he too, stood and made his way to the dojo.

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**Leo's POV**

I slid the dojo door open about an inch and peered inside. I could hardly believe my eyes as they registered the sight before them. The thought of Raph getting up before the rest of us was surprising enough, but the fact that he was training this early in the morning on an empty stomach was absolutely unbelievable. I admit that I have been known to do the same on certain occasions, but then only when I was struggling with something and even then, Sensei usually stopped me and made me accompany him to breakfast. I suppose he didn't bother Raphael because Raph's never really done something like this before. I know that if it was me, I would have let Raph work whatever-this-is out of his system, and I assume that's precisely what Sensei did.

My two younger brothers grew impatient and shoved in front of me in order to open the door the rest of the way so that they, too, could see what was going on. I looked beyond their shocked faces and focused my attention on my brother's form. I have never seen, nor have I ever thought Raphael even remotely capable of moving that fast. He was little more than an emerald green blur.

Deep blue eyes narrow as I attempted to pinpoint each and every step in the kata Raphael was currently performing. It was harder than I thought. Something was different about the way he was fighting. Not only was it faster but it was also more fluid. Indeed, it was very strange. Despite this newfound fluidity, Raph's movements could in no way be considered sloppy, or 'half-assed' as Raphael himself would probably say.

With a soft hum of thought I made up my mind and jumped into my immediate younger brother's path, initiating a counter-attack. He deflected it easily, throwing me back several feet. I back-flipped and was able to land softly, baring my katanas in mid-air. Our eyes locked. Sometimes out ability to speak with our eyes comes in handy. I can tell that Raphael is asking me if I'm really up for this. I smirk, which is my way of telling him to give it everything he's got. Surprisingly, he doesn't smirk back, which is his usual response when I challenge him. Instead he merely nods and draws his sais. There is something…strange in his eyes.

With no further ado we begin to circle slowly, each of us trying to see into the intentions of the other. It feels almost like a dance. I couldn't help but smile. I loved a challenge. Raphael's focus made him twice the warrior he usually was, and I decided to be cautious. I remained on the defensive. I intended to allow Raph to make the first move, but surprisingly, he did not. He pulled away and moved back. So I threw caution into the wind and charged. An expression of shock crossed my face as my brother swooped in, bending low as he used the handles of his sais to knock my legs out from under me. He sheathed his weapons disarming me with that new kata of his, and then proceeded to flip me over before he pinned me to the ground. I blinked up at him in disbelief. My brothers stared open-mouthed.

"Well done, Raphael. It seems that your devotion to that kata has served you well." Master Splinter stated.

Midori smirked. "Yeah, I bet he's glad I taught it to him." She ignored the contemplative glances that she received for that remark, never turning her attention away from Raphael. "Good show." Midori told Raph with a smile on her face.

I glanced up at Raphael and realized he was blushing. I smirked and took advantage of the moment to free myself from underneath the emerald green mass of muscle.

I expected to find my brother gloating and celebrating his success, but instead he appeared to be brooding. Tentatively he asked, "Does that mean I can use it in combat?"

Midori turned to Master Splinter, uncomprehending. I guess Raphael hadn't told her about his agreement with Sensei.

"Yes." My eyes narrowed. It wasn't like Sensei to agree that easily. Raph's face brightened. Master Splinter looked down, "…and no." Raphael deflated faster than a punctured balloon. I shook my head. Raph really should have seen that one coming.

Raphael looked down. My protective instincts surged. Without eye contact I had no way of reading my brother's expression. After about half-a-minute he finally looked up. I frowned and my face darkened. The look on Raphael's face didn't bode well. It was that same expression that had been appearing more and more often these days. I didn't really understand what was going on with Raphael lately. Something had changed. It was strange because there were times when things were as normal as they had ever been and then suddenly there would be moments like this. Moments where he didn't feel like my brother anymore. I really don't know how to explain it.

That strange look crosses his face again and I can't help but frown. He pays my face no heed and stares straight at Sensei. Master Splinter frowned deeply. I faintly noted that Midori had stiffened and I shifted my attention to her. Raph, too, shifted his gaze and for a moment the two of them just stared at each other. She must have seen something that I could not because she blanched. She literally changed color as all the blood seemed to drain from her face.

Midori tore her gaze from Raphael's and murmured, "You can't."

"I have to."

"He'll kill you."

My eyes narrowed as I slowly began to comprehend what was being discussed.

"I won't let him." Raph stated. "I admit, I'm not quite ready yet, but in a few days I will be. I'm going after him whether you like it or not." He paused and allowed that to sink in before going on, "I'm not going to allow him to get away with what he tried to do, mark my words."

The next thing I knew, Midori had shot forward and grabbed his arm. "Revenge isn't going to undo what happened. And it won't take back what he tried to do. Raphael, don't do this." There was a moment of silence and Raphael refused to look at her. Midori grabbed his arm forcefully and turned him around so that she could finally achieve eye-contact. "Don't do this. Please." she added, in a much smaller, broken tone, "I can't lose you too."

Raphael tenderly reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. "You'll never lose me. I promise. I will always come back to you."

Midori sobbed and threw herself against his plastron. Raph held her close for a moment before pushing her away slightly to look down into her golden eyes. It was a very tender scene that made my heart clench.

"I've lost everyone. I just…can't lose you." She said as she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Raph tilted her head upwards with a gentle touch. "I swear it to you on my honor. I'm not going anywhere. But I have to do this. No one hurts the people I love and care about. Especially you. I will not let him get away with hurting you, Midori. Please. I need you to trust me. I need you…to believe in me. I can win this. Please trust me."

"I trust you with my life." She whispered.

The look in Raphael's eyes was a look I had never seen before. His eyes were filled with the colors of emotions. So many emotions. It was as if her words had brought life into his eyes. But there was one thing that was clear. Raphael was determined to see this through.

And there was absolutely nothing and no one, Midori included, that could stop him.

* * *

**Review Please! I'm really anxious to know what you think!**


	28. Tenderly

**Hello Everyone, sorry this chapter took so long. The next chapter (following this one) will be up within the next week I promise! I've been trying to work on at ****least three different stories at the same time, plus a couple of new stories I'm trying to get off the ground. I hope you enjoy it! **

**Ch. 28-Tenderly**

It was afternoon in the turtle lair. The day's training was over and it was still a couple hours until patrol.

The turtles were in the kitchen having something to eat. Midori sat alone in the main room. She lay in silence of the couch for a moment before tentatively reaching for the TV remote. She channel surfed for a few minutes then she landed on an old music channel. The sound of a flute reverberated through the room, and she began to sway. Midori closed her eyes and lost herself in the music. She turned up the volume and spun, keeping her eyes closed. A gentle little grin spread across her face.

_The evening breeze caressed the trees, Tenderly_

_The trembling trees embraced the breeze, Tenderly_

Midori's grin blossomed into a full smile as she felt a familiar hand grip hers softly. She flinched a little, but soon relaxed as he wrapped an arm around her waist. They began to dance as the song went on.

_Then you and I came wandering by and lost in a sigh were we_

_The shore was kissed, by sea and mist, Tenderly_

Slowly, Midori pressed her right hand against the back of his neck, her forearm resting lightly on the lightning-shaped scare on his plastron. She tucked her head just beneath his and sighed contentedly as they moved in tandem with the music.

_I can't forget how two hearts met, breathlessly_

Raphael could feel her breath ghosting over his neck. Neon green eyes closed as Raph focused only on the human in his arms.

Raph knew that if he wanted to keep Dragon from hurting his family, he would have to fight. He didn't want to hurt Midori, but he had to do everything he could to ensure her safety. Even if he had to die to achieve it, Raphael was determined to bring Dragon down. The red masked turtle frowned. He had absolutely no intention of losing his life in the fight with Midori's uncle, but he was forced to acknowledge the possibility, along with the effects it would have on his family. Especially Midori. The only reason Raphael had not already confronted Ryuu was because of her. Internally Raphael feared how Midori would respond to another loss. Even though she didn't show it often, she was deeply scarred.

But Midori was also a very strong young woman. Raph knew she would honor his sacrifice and would not think any less of him for it. However, in the event of his death, Raphael had to ensure that Midori had the support she needed to get on with her life. The hotheaded turtle had no doubt that his family would take good care of her. After all, they had practically already adopted her as their 'sister'. Especially Leonardo, man those two got along like peas in a pod. Since those two had gotten to know each other Raphael had learned more about his conservative older brother than he ever thought he would.

_Your arms opened wide, enclosed me inside,_

_You took my lips, you took my love_

_So Tenderly. _

Raphael dipped her towards the ground as he returned to the present. Their eyes met and the emerald green turtle's heart dropped to his stomach, his only thought was: I can't do this to her.

Raph's line of thought was broken by his younger brother's voice. "Nice moves Raph."

Raph rolled his eyes and stopped cold. Midori glanced up at him questioningly and laughed at the glare she got in return. "You're embarrassed of dancing in front of Mikey?!" She said, barely reigning in her laughter.

"No I just…" His voice faded away as he couldn't come up with a viable excuse.

Golden eyes glinted mischievously. "You're just embarrassed that your little brother caught us in a moment, huh?" She took a few slow steps towards him and Raph inched backwards until he bumped into the couch. Midori smirked and stalked forward. "You're not embarrassed of me are you, Raphie?"

Raph shifted uncomfortably and growled. "**Don't** call me Raphie."

"You didn't answer my question!" She pounced, knocked him backwards and pinned him to the couch and began tickling his sides. "Answer the question!"

Raph grit his teeth as he refused to allow himself to laugh, "No!" Despite all his efforts the pouting turtle's frown melted into a smile, but he still refused to laugh.

"Well? Are you embarrassed of me?" She repeated more quietly and the tickling slowed to a stop.

Raphael looked straight up into her eyes. "I would never be embarrassed of you."

Midori beamed and Raph smiled, goofily. _Did I seriously just say that? Man, I'm going soft. _Raph thought to himself. Strangely enough, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Then he noticed that Michelangelo was wagging his eyebrows at them. So Raph concocted a little plot.

He used his ninja skills to flip them over so that he was the one pinning Midori to the couch. Then he proceeded to kiss her passionately. In the midst of the kiss Raph cracked open an eye and did a mental victory dance.

The look on Mikey's face was absolutely priceless. The youngest turtle's eyes looked as though they were about to bug out of his head. Raph watched as Mikey's shocked stare turned into one of juvenile disgust. As the youngest turtle ran off, Raph closed his eyes and sighed contentedly into the kiss. It wasn't long before he had to break away and allow Midori to breath.

Midori had been shocked by Raphael's sudden streak of bravado following how embarrassed the hothead turtle had been when Mikey had caught them dancing. She couldn't help but grin as she heard Michelangelo run off screaming. Just after the youngest left the room, Raph pulled away and stared down at her.

Honey-colored irises were lit with passion. Her pin-straight, jet-black hair lay fanned out on the cushions behind her. It seemed almost to billow out behind her like a mighty cape. Raphael's breath hitched. Her beauty at this moment could not be accurately described by any words.

Midori's thoughts began to wander as she pulled out of the kiss and stared up into Raphael's eyes. Things had changed between her and Raphael since she moved in with the turtles. Their dynamic had shifted. They'd moved from very close friends to something much deeper, something so much more. Though they hadn't officially discussed the change, they were both very aware of it. Raphael was always wonderfully sweet and very caring, even in the kisses they had just shared, Midori could feel that the red-masked turtle's grip was purposefully light, so that she could pull away at any time. Midori knew that Raph would always give her the option of saying no and that he would always respect that.

At some point during her mind's wanderings, Midori had pulled away from the kiss. Her cheeks colored and she suddenly felt as though the walls were closing in on her. She pushed up on Raph's plastron. The turtle immediately took the cue and got off.

The other turtles entered the room, the youngest leading his two older brothers behind him.

"Mikey told us you two were seriously making out." Leo stated.

Raph glared at him, "So what? You decided to come on in and watch? You guys are messed up!" Raph growled, punching his older brother not-so-gently in the arm.

Leonardo punched Raph back.

Midori smiled at Raph as he leaped on the eldest turtle and the two of them began to wrestle. She rolled her eyes. Honestly those two had the strangest ways of showing affection for one another.

The two eldest turtles wrestled happily, their smiles and laughter brightening the atmosphere. Mikey joined in and helped Leo pin Raph.

"I'll get you for this Mikey!" Raph growled, but this time it was a playful growl, not an aggressive one, meaning Raph was in a reasonably good mood. As soon as he was freed, the hothead tackled his little brother and started to torture him…by tickling the life out of him.

Laughter rang through the lair. Master Splinter emerged from the dojo and smiled at his sons' antics, but as the old rat's eyes met the neon green orbs of his second son's, his expression sobered.

There was something in Raphael's eyes. Something that Raphael was trying to tell him. Ah, so that was it. It was time. Raphael was leaving.

Splinter sent Raphael a look that said 'be careful.' Raph's subtle nod went unnoticed by the others. The fatherly rat quashed his worries and accepted that Raphael would go through with this regardless of his wishes. Splinter did not know, but he was fairly certain that they would wake up tomorrow morning to find that Raphael was gone.

* * *

Later that night…

Raph was going through his weapons cabinet trying to decide what to bring with him. There was a soft knock at the door. He closed the cabinet and jumped on his bed, pretending he had just been relaxing.

Midori walked in slowly, tentatively. Raphael shot off the bed and approached her, "Midori, are you okay?"

She reached out and pulled him into a tight hug. "I-I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen and my room is so dark and empty and I…well…I…"

There was a brief silence before Raph understood what she was trying to say. "You want to stay in here?"

Slowly she nodded. Raph nodded and grabbed a pillow and sheet.

"What are you…"

"I'm gonna take the couch," he stated plainly.

Midori smiled sweetly. "No. I-I want you to stay…Please?"

Raph was surprised and a little bit hesitant. "All right." He agreed slowly. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Don't be ridiculous, Raph. There's more than enough room for both of us." Midori stated as she took the pillow from Raph's grip and placed it back on the bed. "Which side do you want?" She asked as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

Raph stiffened. "I don't know…are you sure you're comfortable with this?"

Midori smiled yet again. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't." She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him. "I feel safe with you."

* * *

The next morning Raphael slowly drifted awake. He glanced at the clock. Five. Five?! Crud! He was supposed to have already been gone by now. With a sigh, the sleepy turtle closed his eyes once more. Oh well. He'd just have to wait another day.

It had been a very cold night, and even though Raph didn't remember pulling up the covers he could feel their light weight on his arms. It was so nice and warm. And the arms around him were warm. So warm…he thought as he began to drift off once more. Then his mind registered his previous thoughts. Arms. The shell?! Arms? His eyes snapped open. Midori was curled up against his plastron. Raphael was laying flat on the bed and Midori appeared to have cuddled closer during the night. Her straight, black hair was splayed across his plastron where her head lay against his chest. Raph belatedly realized that he had also wrapped his arms around her. His right arm was wrapped around her side, resting gently on her hip. The turtle was going to try and wiggle his way out, but he realized that her left leg was also laying gently over his, and it would be very difficult to extricate himself without waking her.

With no foreseeable way of escaping his current predicament, Raphael resigned himself to waiting for Midori to wake up.

Waiting also meant that he had plenty of time to think. So the occurrences of yesterday had prevented his departure last night. But tonight he would have to leave. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. But…what to do with that last day? Raphael was struggling coming up with an answer. Should he train? Prepare himself for what would, in all probability be one of the most dangerous and difficult battles of his life? Or should he spend his final day with his brothers? Spend the time bonding with his family, and make sure that they knew how much he cared about them? In all likelihood, he should probably do both.

_I'll make sure this is a day my brothers won't soon forget. _

_And Midori…I'll have to tell her just how much I care now, and in the event that I do not return…_

_I'll have to tell one of my brothers and make sure that they understand. I need to know that they'll take care of her. I mean, I know they will, but I just need that verbal confirmation. I need to know. _

_That settles it. Much as I hate to do it…today I'm gonna have a talk with Leo._

**So what did you think? Review please!**


	29. If Ever I Would Leave You

**This chapter was absolutely enthralling me so I worked on it for most of the day. It is long, so be prepared. Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Ch. 29-If ever I would leave you**

Raphael was well into his last day. He'd really put all of his focus and skill into training this morning. When he'd first arrived in the dojo Master Splinter had seemed surprised to see him.

Splinter was wise enough to realize that Raphael's plans must have somehow been delayed. After training the old rat pulled his second son aside. As the other turtles left the dojo, Master Splinter and Raphael simply stared at each other. As soon as everyone was gone the rat father turned to his son and pulled the young turtle into a tight hug. "My son." Splinter murmured, clinging to his second son as though he couldn't bare letting him loose, even for a second.

"Father I—I wish that we could have had more time. There's…there's so much I've never been able to tell you. So may things I wanted to share. I—"

"I know, my child. I know." Splinter said, barely holding back his tears. The old rat stepped back and looked down into those beautiful bright green eyes. "Raphael, the loss of one of my sons would destroy me." He whispered quietly. The mutated rat had both hands on his son's shoulders. In fact, this was one of the rare moments where Splinter allowed himself to show his true concern in front of one of his sons. "Losing Miwa was difficult enough…but you must attempt to understand, my child." One four-fingered hand reached up to cup the side of Raphael's face. "I raised you myself, Raphael. I watched you and your brothers grow from infants to teenagers. I know the four of you so well. I love each and every one of you so much." The father looked straight into his hotheaded son's eyes. "I expect you to return to us, Raphael."

Raph's bright green gaze stared directly into Splinter's soft brown ones. "I intend to." He whispered beneath his breath.

Splinter nodded and squeezed Raphael's shoulder gently. Raphael smiled and bowed respectfully to his father before heading out of the dojo.

Splinter watched him go. Pride swelled in the old father's heart. Raphael was no longer a child. He had grown into a remarkable adult. He was no longer the delicate little turtle who clung to Splinter's robes. Those innocent neon green eyes had matured into pools of such depth and sagacity. Turbulent green pools swirling with intense emotions. Raphael was no longer his. The turtle was his own man now. He no longer needed a father to protect him.

Raphael was all grown up.

* * *

When Raph emerged into the main room he found his brothers sprawled out on the couch. Midori sat right smack in the middle of them holding the television remote. She turned straight to the old music channel.

The other turtles looked at each other. Leo jumped to his feet and offered her a hand. "May I have this dance?"

Midori smiled and took the offered hand graciously. They moved over to the side where there was space as the songs changed. A new song began and they started to dance. The title caught Raphael's attention: If Ever I Would Leave You. He watched with glazed over eyes as Leo and Midori danced. She was smiling widely. Raph smiled. Then as the singer began Raph's mind was suddenly drawn to the lyrics.

_If ever I would leave you, it wouldn't be in summer._

_Seeing you in summer, I never would go._

_Your hair streaked with sunlight, your lips red as flame, _

_Your face with a luster that puts gold to shame._

Raphael stared at Midori as the words began to come alive. He noted the way the light reflected off of her hair. Her face glowed with content. She looked almost ethereal.

_But if I'd ever leave you, how could it be in autumn?_

_How I'd leave in autumn I never would know._

_I've seen how you sparkle, when fall nips the air_

_I know you in autumn and I must be there._

The longer he listened, the more his heart began to ache. He had never really paid much attention to song lyrics before he met Midori. But for whatever reason, the lyrics almost always seemed to fit their situation. He had never been one for music of this type before she had shown him its true value. Whoever this guy was, Raphael could really identify with him. Leaving Midori was going to be the hardest part of this whole thing. _But I'll return. I have to return. _He thought to himself. _But what if I don't? No. I won't think about that. Not now. Right now I have to focus on Midori._ Raph told himself, his mind once again tuning in to the lyrics.

_And could I leave you running merrily through the snow?_

_Or on a wintry evening, when you catch the fire's glow?_

_If ever I would leave you, how could it be in springtime?_

_Knowing how in spring I'm bewitched by you so_

_Oh no, not in springtime, summer, winter or fall._

_If ever I could leave you at all_

Raphael stared at Midori, his heart feeling as though it was being torn apart. Leaving Midori was going to be so difficult. And the song certainly hadn't helped at all. Half of him wanted to stay, to experience the types of moments described by the lyrics of the song. To hold Midori close to him on cold winters nights, to see her hair glisten in the summer sun, to see her playful smile and hear her laugh as they threw snowballs at each other, to dance with her on the rooftops on a cool spring night when the moon was full…to have her by his side for the rest of his life. That was all he wanted.

Raph shook those thoughts away. First he had to take care of Dragon. There would be no peace for her in this world if he didn't. He had to do this. For Midori.

As Raphael emerged from his thoughts he found that everyone was staring at him, including Midori and Leo. "What?"

Midori's eyes narrowed, then her gaze softened as she spoke, "I asked you if you wanted the next dance."

Raph's eyes widened. He must have been really lost in his own thoughts if he hadn't heard her. The hotheaded shook his head to clear his head. "Sure." He stated, moving towards her and holding out his hand.

This song was a little faster, but the intro was of a different tone. Still sweet, but it was sweetness of a different hue, it had a bit of a sensual touch to it.

_Those fingers in my hair_

The vocals only accentuated the tone, adding a hint of mischief.

_That sly come hither stare_

_That strips my conscience bare_

_It's witchcraft._

Raphael spun Midori around. For a while she swayed with her back to him before unwinding and returning to their original position. Leonardo watched with a gentle smile. Those two are perfect for each other, he thought to himself. At the moment the two of them were off in their own little world. In fact, the eldest turtle doubted whether Raph and Midori even recognized the three of them were still there.

_And I've got no defense for it,_

_The heat is too intense for it._

_What good would common sense for it do?_

Donatello smiled, and his mind began to run over the lyrics. He knew enough to recognize the voice as that of the legendary Frank Sinatra and he'd heard the song alluded to, but had never actually heard the song itself. Still, the brainiac was enjoying it.

_'Cause it's witchcraft,_

_Wicked witchcraft,_

_And although I know it's strictly taboo_

Michelangelo was swaying to the music from where he sat on the couch as he watched his older hotheaded brother dance. He thought about making a snarky comment about Raph's dancing skills, but after what had happened last time, decided against it.

_When you arouse the need in me,_

_My heart says yes indeed in me,_

_Proceed with what your leading me to_

Midori placed both her hands on either side of Raph's face and pulled him close. Raphael kept his right hand on her waist, lifted the other and laid it over her hand, pressing it and holding it against his face. He pressed their foreheads together and looked straight down into Midori's eyes.

_It's such an ancient pitch,_

_But one I wouldn't switch,_

_'Cause there's no nicer witch than you_

Midori pulled away a little and wrapped her arms around the back of his head, pressing her face into his shoulder. Her breath ghosted over his scar and a shiver ran down his spine. The sensuality of the music combined with the warmth of Midori pressing against him made Raph sigh. His hands pressed against her shoulders, slowly moving down her back, voluptuously.

The shirt she was wearing was long sleeved, in her favorite shade of dark red, of course. In the front the shirt had a straight collar that pressed gently against her neck, but in the back there was a v-shaped cleavage that exposed her shoulders and half of her back. About halfway down the back the shirt tied in a corset-like manner accentuating her figure.

Raphael closed his eyes and softly stroked the back of Midori's shoulders, pressing her against him.

_'Cause it's witchcraft,_

_That crazy witchcraft,_

_And although I know it's strictly taboo_

_When you arouse the need in me,_

_My heart says yes indeed in me,_

_Proceed with what your leading me to..._

Leonardo watched as the two of them held each other close. There was something in Raphael's expression. Something closely akin to desperation. The way the red-masked turtle held her indicated that he knew he'd have to let her go. He was holding her as though he thought it would be the last time. Leo's eyes narrowed. Something's up.

_It's such an ancient pitch,_

_But one that I would never switch,_

_'Cause there's no nicer witch than you_

* * *

As the song ended, Raph and Midori's movement slowed. Raph pulled away reluctantly and moved over to the couch, having a seat beside his brothers. The hothead picked up the remote and changed the channel. Midori joined Raph and leaned her head on his shoulder affectionately.

Michelangelo leaned over and attempted to pull the remote from Raph's hand. The hothead growled and moved his hand away. "Aw, c'mon Raphie, Crognard the Barbarian is on!"

Raph sighed and handed the youngest turtle the remote. The turtles stared. Raphael never gave in that easily.

In truth, the hothead decided that he wanted to make sure that he spent some real quality time with his brothers, so he had begun thinking about what he could do to achieve that. In this case he decided that Mikey would appreciate it.

Michelangelo shook off his surprise and put on his show. _Raph is probably just in a good mood today. It does happen occasionally. _Mikey thought before his mind was sucked into the world of Crognard.

Raphael occasionally threw in comments and questions, the kind that weren't snide or overbearing, which thrilled the youngest turtle and propelled him into a very detailed conversation with his red-masked brother. Raphael listened patiently to Mikey's ramblings, quietly indulging the youngest turtle.

* * *

When Crognard the Barbarian was over Raph stood. Something else occurred to him. He turned to his immediate younger brother. The purple-masked brainiac sent him a curious stare. "Donnie, you said you needed to so some work on the Shell Raiser, right?"

Donatello nodded.

"Need an extra hand?"

Don looked astounded for a few moments, but he shook it off. As long as Raph was offering. "Yeah, I could really use one if you're up for it."

Raph nodded. "Then let's get to it." The two of them headed into the lab and Don closed the door behind them.

Back in the main room Leo frowned. Something was up with Raph. And he was gonna find out what. Best way to do that was to meditate on everything that he had observed until a solution presented itself.

* * *

**Several hours later...**

In the lab red and purple masked turtles worked silently. Donatello really enjoyed moments like this. Moments where Raph would just let loose and be Raph. It pleased the brainiac to see his immediate older brother without his tough-guy muscle-man exterior. Raphael was not stupid. The only reason Donnie called him meathead was because Raph had a tendency to fight first and think later. In fact, Raphael was a very efficient problem-solver. And when it came to cars and motorcycles, even engines in general, Raph was a first-rate mechanic.

Don was fascinated by the look of absolute concentration that Raph wore whenever he was repairing an engine or fixing a brake line. There was a soft, gentler side to the hotheaded turtle, they all knew that. Raphael proved that to Donatello every time he offered to help the brainiac. Every time Raph spent hours in the lab helping Donatello repair their vehicles just so that Don could get to sleep earlier, or go grab something to eat.

That's not even counting all the times Raph stormed and literally dragged the scientist from his lab to force him to get some rest. Donatello smiled and peered beneath the Shell Raiser where Raph lay on the creeper as he tightened some bolts on the vehicle's underbelly. "Hey Raph."

The turtle in question finished turning his last bolt and slid out from beneath the vehicle and glanced over at his younger brother. "Yeah Don?"

Donnie smiled. Raph's face had a few spots of grease on it and his hands were practically covered in black smudges. Donatello handed Raph a cloth and the hothead nodded his gratitude. As soon as he was done wiping his face Raph on his hands. Green eyes sent Don a curious look. "What was it Don?"

"Huh?" Donnie asked, distractedly.

"What were you gonna tell me? You called, remember?"

"Oh." Don said as he realized Raph was right. "I just wanted to say thanks."

Raphael shrugged it off. "No big deal."

"Yes it is, Raph." Don retorted his hand shooting out and grabbing Raphael's, stilling it.

The corner of Raph's mouth turned up in a smile at Donnie's persistence. Green eyes turned downward to their hands and the red-masked turtle whispered, "You're welcome." The two brothers shared a moment of companionable silence. Finally Raphael shook Donnie off and straightened. He handed the dirty cloth back to his brother. "That should just about take care of things here. She's good to go." He stated, the 'she' he was referring to being the Shell Raiser.

Don nodded his affirmation.

Raph went on, "Call me if you need any more help, okay?" The hothead growled and pulled the brainiac into a lose headlock (which was about the equivalent of a hug). "I know how you love overwork those brain cells of yours, but give 'em a break every once in a while." Raph said as he gave the struggling brother a noogie on the top of his head. Don mewled with disgust and yanked himself away as Raph's grip loosened.

"Ew, Raph! That's gross!"

Raph smirked smugly. "Well that's what ya get for being sappy! Later!" Then the hothead was gone and Donatello was rushing over to the sink where he proceeded to wash the top of his head several times.

* * *

_Two brothers down, one to go. _Raph thought as he headed straight for his older brother's domain. The dojo. The emerald green turtle glanced around. Huh, empty. Or perhaps only seemingly so.

Raph could sense that he wasn't alone in the room. Fearless was here. Somewhere. Raphael closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his brother's breathing. It was slowed so Leo was meditating. But Leo was nowhere in sight. At least, not within sight of the door. Raph moved into the room made his way around the tree. Still no Fearless. He closed his eyes once more and was surprised to hear that the sound of Leo's breathing was seemingly coming from behind him. Raph turned around to face the tree. He looked up. Ah. _So that's where Leo is._

"I've heard of trying different meditation locations to strengthen adaptability, but don't you think you're taking it a little bit too far?"

Dark blue eyes snapped open and glared at the red-masked turtle. "What do you want Raph?"

Raphael held up his hands. "I'm not looking for trouble, Fearless. I just thought I could hang with you for a little bit. That a crime?"

"No." Leo answered, closing his eyes once more. "But you're up to something."

Raph gave his older brother a confused and innocent look. Unfortunately Leonardo wasn't buying it.

"Don't play this game with me, little brother. You being that nice to both Donnie and Mikey in one day? And the way you clung to Midori while you were dancing." Dark blue eyes flashed open with understanding. "You're leaving tonight, aren't you?" The eldest asked, though he already knew the answer.

Raphael stared directly back into his brother's eyes. "I have to."

The blue-masked turtle frowned, his eyes filled with concern. "Raphael…why won't you let us help you?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt."

Leo unfolded from his meditation position and dropped out of the tree onto the ground. "Raph…I don't quite know how to say this…" Leo began tentatively. He reached out and put a hand on the hothead's sinuous shoulder. "Come back alive."

Raph sent him a waning grin. "I'll do my best, brother." He whispered softly. They both grew silent and Raph began to shift his weight uncomfortably. "If this isn't a good time I can come back later."

Leonardo failed to answer. Raph turned to leave, but a gentle hand caught his shoulder. The hothead turned to face his only older brother. What he saw shocked him. There were so many emotions racing across the older turtle's features. Intense emotions that Leonardo did not usually allow them witness like doubt, fear, pain, sadness. There was so much sadness in those dark blue eyes. Sadness and desperation.

"No." Leo managed to choke out. "Don't go. I—I want to spend this time with you. There are…a lot of things I need to tell you."

Raphael would have argued, but he could see from Leo's expression that Fearless desperately needed to blurb at him, to achieve peace of mind, if nothing else. Raphael nodded Leonardo to go on.

"I…I have so many things I want to say! I don't know where to begin."

"The beginning is always a good place to start." Raph murmured.

Leo's hand shook as he reached over to grab Raphael's shoulder. "We've always had a bond, haven't we? I mean—you know that all those times we fought, those were just words. Words said in haste and anger. You know that I never meant those things, right?"

Slowly, Raphael looked straight into Leo's gaze and nodded.

Leo went on. "I—shit, how am I supposed to know how to say this?!"

Raph's eyes widened. Leo didn't usually cuss like that. Shell, Leo didn't usually cuss period.

"Raph, you're my immediate younger brother. But if it weren't for you…I'd be nothing."

Green eyes glanced up searchingly at his older brother, confused.

"Raphael you don't seem to realize how much this family depends on you! I mean come on! Look at me! Without you constantly pushing me past my limits, reminding me who and what I am, making sure I kept focused on the task at hand, always giving me cause to doubt myself…you've made me into a better leader Raph. Without that…we'd all be dead. And what about the way you protect us? I can think of ten separate occasions you've saved my life in the past year alone. I'm sure the number of times you've saved Mikey's life is almost twice that. You care for us Raph. Think about how many times you dragged me out of the dojo for lunch, or the number of times you've carried Donnie to his room after he fell asleep in the lab doing research. Raph I—" Tears began to gather in Leo's eyes and the eldest turtle's shoulders began to tremble.

Concerned, Raphael leaned over and reached out, gently gripping his older brother's shoulder.

"I wish there was something I could say to make you stay. Something I could do to prevent you from doing this…I can't lose you Raph. I don't quite know how to say this…but I've always believed that of all our brothers, I've always been closest to you." Leo paused, letting that sink in before moving on, "It may seem silly, but since I'm your only older brother I've always felt that it was my job to protect you, the way you protect all three of us. I can't protect you from this. And just the thought that I could lose you… I-I really wish that I could go back in time and erase every singe fight we've ever had. I wish that we could play together the way we used to as kids. I wish I'd been able to tell you all of this earlier, under more happy circumstances."

Raph's lips were pressed in a tight line. "Not all wishes can come true, Leo."

Tears began to slide down Leo's face and the next thing Raph knew he had been pulled into a tight embrace. Slowly the emerald green turtle reciprocated the hug, gently rubbing the back of Leo's shell to calm him down. Leonardo clung to the red-masked turtle desperately as he murmured. "Promise me you'll come back alive."

Raphael pulled out of the hug and stared into Leo's dark blue eyes. "We both know I can't do that, Leo."

Leonardo pushed Raphael violently out of the hug in a sudden wave of anger. "Why are you always so cynical?"

"I'm not being cynical." Raph answered calmly, "I just don't want to make a promise when there is a possibility I could break it. I don't want my last exchange with you to contain a single lie. You said you had plenty of things to tell me, now I have a few to tell you. I've always admired you, bro. All my life I looked up to you, compared myself to you, and felt like no matter what I did I would never be worthy of even standing in the same room as you. As for our fights, a lot of what I said was said in anger. I-I really wish I could have had more time to spend with you and the others. I wish our fights hadn't created so many problems between us, but…as I said, not all wishes can come true. I'm so sorry that I have to leave you like this, big brother. But I don't have a choice. I can't procrastinate any longer or Dragon will reach me before I reach him. I love you guys." For a moment, the red-masked turtle paused. "Leo, I need you to make me a promise."

Leo nodded. "Anything."

"In the event that I don't return…take care of her for me?"

Leo's face darkened and he nodded. "Of course. I promise. I would have anyway."

"I know. I just had to ease my guilty conscience."

"You have nothing to feel guilty about. As you say, you have to do this to keep our family safe."

"That doesn't change the fact that I have to leave her behind." Raph pointed out, his fists shaking with distress.

"Have you told her yet?" Leo asked softly.

"I'm not going to." Raph stated.

Leonardo sent his younger sibling a shocked stare and Raphael only lowered his eyes.

"I can't. She'll only try to stop me."

"And when she discovers you've gone she'll be heartbroken." Leo pointed out slowly.

"I know, but I'm doing this for her. She'll understand the sacrifice."

"And if she doesn't?"

Raph's stare was answer enough. Midori simply had to.

"When are you leaving?" Leo asked, gripping Raph's shoulder softly.

"What time is it?"

"About six thirty."

"Probably around one when Midori's fast asleep. Look, tomorrow she's gonna be really upset when she finds out. Can you…?"

"I'll comfort her as best I can." Leo answered. Raphael briefly wondered how Leo managed to read his mind at times like this. Was he really that predictable? Raph returned to the present to find that Leonardo had both hands on his shoulders. "Please be careful."

Raph nodded, pulling Leo into one last, gentle hug before he left the dojo.

It wasn't until after the hothead was gone that Leo dropped to his knees and whispered, "Please don't lose this battle, little brother. This family won't survive your loss."

* * *

**Well there goes Raphael's last day. Next chapter Midori finds out Raph is gone, and the hothead begins to trail the Dragon in hopes of confrontation. **

**I also realized that I didn't mention the song last chapter. The name of the song is Tenderly and the one I was listening to as I wrote the chapter was sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Songs used in this chapter were: If ever I would leave you from Camelot (the musical) and Witchcraft (version sung by Frank Sinatra). Disclaimer! I have no rights to any of these songs. **

**How was it? Review please!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	30. Leave and Gone

**After I finished typing this up I thought about making it two separate chapters, but decided against it. They're more powerful together I think. You can tell me what you think after you've read them. **

**Even I wasn't planning to examine Midori's reaction quite this way, but I had this fantastic idea and it worked out so much better than what I had originally planned. The result is a chapter twice as impacting. Not to mention the fact that it fits Midori's character much better. **

**As for the second part…so far Leo and Splinter are both aware of Raph's intentions, but what about the two younger turtles?**

* * *

**Ch. 30-Leave**

It was about one o'clock in the morning when Raphael decided it was time to go. Midori had asked to join him yet again. Raph, unable to refuse her anything, had agreed. The turtle had waited patiently until he was certain that she was sound asleep, then he carefully eased his way out of her grasp.

Midori let out a small sound of protest and stirred, her arms reaching out for him. Raphael quickly handed her one of the pillows, which she quickly latched on to. Raph let out a sigh of relief, picked up the weapons that he had already set aside earlier, and proceeded to the main room.

The red masked ninja was about two steps from the door when…

"You really thought it would be that simple?"

Raphael froze in his tracks. _Damn_. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned around slowly.

Amber eyes glared narrowly at him. "You thought you could just leave? Sneak away while I'm asleep and abandon me? Without a word? Without a confrontation?" By this point, she was absolutely livid.

Raph's reply was calm and level, "I…had hoped…to avoid it."

"I won't let you do this." She whispered.

The turtle's jaw clenched. "That's why I knew I couldn't tell you I was going. I knew this would happen."

"I mean it, Raphael. I will not allow you to go out there and—"

"There's nothing you can do. I'm going. I have to do this." He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close. "For you." Raphael held her chin tightly, forcefully, but not enough to hurt her. "I won't condemn you to a life down here in the dark. It's bad enough for us, being mutants. But you're human. You deserve to live your life up there in the sunlight. I want you to be able to live without that constant fear, without always having to look back over your shoulder." Raph's voice dropped to a whisper, "It's no less than you deserve."

Midori yanked her head away. "Oh, and revenge has nothing to do with it?!"

Raph's neon green eyes narrowed before looking down and away from her honey-colored stare. "No one hurts you like that and lives to get away with it." He muttered, finally meeting her gaze. The irises glowed with barely suppressed anger. "But anger clouds the mind and justice and revenge are two totally different things."

"I don't believe that crap for one second!"

"You should. It's the truth." Raph murmured, his eyes glowing in earnest.

"Go." Midori murmured. Her voice was barely audible.

Raphael took hold of her hands.

"Let go of my hands." She stated, but Raphael refused to budge. She squirmed, trying to free herself, but Raph's grip tightened. Midori glared at him. "You said what you had to! Now go ahead, leave!"

Raph brought her hands up to his lips and kissed each of them gently. Midori looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. "I love you." He murmured.

Finally Raphael allowed Midori to pull her hands away. She staggered backward, stunned.

Midori could hardly believe her ears. Honey-colored eyes softened and she stepped towards him, reaching out tentatively, her long, thin fingers brushing affectionately against the side of his face. Her heart swelled with emotion.

Her eyes flashed like lightning and she turned her back to him. "If you loved me you wouldn't be doing this."

Raph sighed and reached out, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I have to do this. I don't expect you to accept it." He turned her around gently and his shoulders drooped as he saw the pain in her eyes. "I can only tell you how deeply I care about you."

"You say you're doing this for me." She said, clinging to his shoulders. Midori's eyes gleamed with desperation, "But you don't have to." The young woman reached out and pressed her hand against his face. "You already have me. You've already won my love. We can live together in peace for the rest of our lives! Please, don't do this."

Raphael scoffed. "Peace? Living in hiding? Always having to look back over our shoulders? Living in fear that Dragon will catch up to one or both of us at any moment? You call that peace? What kind of life is that?"

Midori shook her head. "It may not be the best we could wish for, but we could be happy! We'd be together, that's what matters."

Neon green eyes hardened. "Maybe you can live like that, Midori. I can't."

Tears clouded the desperate amber orbs. "Then go ahead and leave. Just leave. I release you. Go on. Free yourself from your obligations…from me."

Raphael's eyes were still rock hard, but they deepened in intensity. "I may free myself from you physically, but you will always hold my heart in your hands. I'm not complete without you. I can't promise you that I'll return, but I will never truly leave you. Do you love me?"

Honey smothered Raph's neon green gaze as their eyes met.

Midori's mouth was taught with seriousness. "You know I do."

Raph smile was grim. He reached out, grabbed her hand, and pulled it close to his chest. "Then I'll always be with you."

"And what if you get taken from me?" Midori's voice was hushed as she went on, "What if Dragon takes you from me?"

Raph pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms. He pressed a hand to her chest and looked her in the eyes. Their lips were only inches away from each other.

"No one will ever be able to take away the part of me that you hold in here." He stated, his hand pressing softly against where her heart was located. His emerald green hands cupped her face softly as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Promise me that you will never forget that."

Midori's body shook as she fought to hold back the tears. She threw herself into his arms and cried, burying her face in his shoulder. Midori didn't want his last memory of her to one of her in tears. Raph held her close, his muscular arms softly encircling her frame.

They remained that way until finally Raphael couldn't afford to wait any longer. The red-masked turtle clung tightly to her for what could very well be their last moments together. He tore himself away with his heart aching in his chest. "I love you." Raph whispered as he headed out the door and was gone.

Midori watched him go with vacant eyes. The silence that followed Raphael's departure seeped into her very soul, making her heart feel ten pounds heavier. "I love you too." Even though the words were whispered they crashed through the air like waves on the sand. She toppled to knees as a sole tear caressed her cheek.

Raphael was her best friend, her confidant. He meant everything to her. And they had only just become something more. If she were being honest with herself, somewhere deep down inside her heart, Midori had always known that their bond was greater than any between friends.

She stared in the direction Raphael had gone. "You mean everything to me. I don't care how hotheaded you are, you better be careful. You'll be back, and when you are I expect you be in one piece. Yes, you'll be back. You'll come back to me." The silence returned and Midori felt as though she had been swallowed into a giant void. When she spoke again her voice was hushed and airy, as though she were trying to reassure herself. "You'll be back."

* * *

**Part Two: Gone**

Michelangelo was the first one up. With a happy whistle and a spring his step, the youngest turtle moved swiftly down the hall and straight to the kitchen.

Midori, completely unable to sleep after Raph left, had stayed in the main room the remainder of the night, stretched out on one of the couches. At the sound of light whistling she sat up, her heart feeling heavy once again. This wasn't going to be easy for Raph's brothers.

Growing up in the sewers with only each other had led to the development of incredibly strong bonds between the four turtle siblings. From what little they had told her, Midori had gathered that the other turtles had been devastated when Raph had been away for three days following the Shell Cycle incident. Knowing that he was out there, out of their reach, in danger, was going to be a very trying experience for them.

Midori was yanked from her thoughts as she registered the bright, smiling, orange-masked face staring down at her.

"Hey little sis!" Mikey greeted enthusiastically.

Midori frowned up at him. "Michelangelo, I hope you realize that I am, in fact, older than you."

Mikey rolled his eyes, "Technicalities."

She grinned a little, but even that was forced.

The youngest turtle's smile melted into a frown. "Hey what's up, sis?"

Black hair fell in her face, graciously hiding her tears from Mikey's curious, blue gaze. "Not now. I'll tell you later when everyone is here."

Mikey's frown failed to dissipate, but he nodded and headed back to the kitchen. Midori was relieved that he hadn't asked her any further questions.

Donnie was the next one to wake up. The brainiac noticed Midori laying on the couch staring blankly at the ceiling, but he said nothing. Instead the purple-masked turtle treaded softly into the kitchen where he and Michelangelo began to converse in hushed tones.

Leonardo was the last of the turtles to enter the main room. As soon as he did so, Midori sat up and met his gaze. In place of his usually proud posture, Leonardo's shoulders were bowed. His eyes sported dark rings, as though he hadn't slept at all. The moment his eyes met hers, Midori knew Leonardo had already known. The blue masked turtle sat beside her on the couch and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. When he spoke, he purposely lowered his voice so that they wouldn't be overheard. "You okay?"

"As I can be." She answered grimly.

"He told you, then?"

Midori lowered her eyes, "I caught him just as he was leaving. Leo, I—" She couldn't say any more. All the words she knew slipped her mind and her mouth opened and closed aimlessly.

Leonardo's exhausted eyes glowed sympathetically. As tears came to her eyes, the eldest turtle pulled her close and rubbed her back gently. "Sh…It's okay. He'll come back."

Midori nodded and pushed away gently. Leonardo allowed her to do so, his eyes filled with concern. Midori smiled sadly and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thanks Leo."

The eldest turtle's only reply was a solemn nod.

At that moment the dojo doors opened. Both Leo and Midori glanced over at the old rat. Master Splinter's face was grave, and worn. He looked and walked like he was ten years older. When he finally registered their presence the old rat looked up at them with dull brown eyes. Splinter saw in their young faces a reflection of the pain in his. He approached the couch where they sat and placed a hand on Leonardo's head. The old, tired eyes glazed over and he stared wistfully at his eldest son. Then Splinter turned to Midori. He undoubtedly noted the redness of her eyes, for the old rat reached out and traced a gentle finger over a recent tear trail.

As Master Splinter made his way to their side of the couch he motioned them to stand and they did so. Both Midori and Leonardo looked down, expecting the old rat to offer some sort of proverb or profound lesson. Both of them stared in shock as Master Splinter reached out and pulled them tightly to his chest.

Leonardo lightly hugged back, but stepped out of the hug as soon as Master Splinter's arms fell. Midori, on the other hand, clung desperately to the old rat's robes. Splinter seemed surprised by the young woman's actions, but he was a father first, sensei second, so the old rat gently rubbed her shoulders and allowed her to cling to him.

Donatello and Michelangelo poked their heads in and as soon as they saw what was going on they both came running. Donnie drew close to Midori, "What happened?"

One of Master Splinter's hands reached out and gestured Donatello not to come any further.

Michelangelo frowned deeply. "Is she okay?" He took another look at Midori and tensed nervously. "Do you want me to get Raph?" He asked her.

Tears burned in her eyes as shook her head and pulled away from Master Splinter. Mikey's eyes narrowed as both Leonardo and Sensei tensed at his question. After Midori started crying he knew he was missing something. The youngest glanced at Donatello questioningly, but Donnie looked as lost as he was.

Midori's voice shook as she spoke, "Raphael is gone."

Donatello's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed. "Gone? Gone where?"

The young woman's shoulders shook. Leo frowned and went to her side, placing his hands on her shoulders. She turned and thanked him with a nod. The eldest turtle pulled his hands away. Midori straightened and glanced over at the blue-masked turtle, her eyes signaling him to go ahead.

Leo nodded. His dark, blue eyes fell to the floor as his younger brothers glanced innocently from their father, to Midori, to Leo and back again. "Raph's gone to face Dragon."

Leo's words chimed through the lair like the chilling bong of a death toll.

Mikey had tears in his eyes. "No. Raphie—why would he go alone? He'll get hurt! We can't let him get hurt, we have to do something!" Leo and Splinter avoided the youngest turtle's desperate stare.

"There's nothing we can do, Michelangelo. Raphael is determined to do this alone." Leo stated solemnly.

"That was why he spent the afternoon with me…" Everyone turned to Donatello. The brainiac's voice sounded strained, and almost all the color had drained from his face. As Donnie fell weakly backwards onto the couch, Midori sat beside him and rubbed his carapace comfortingly. The brainiac began to hyperventilate and Midori did her best to calm him down.

Michelangelo couldn't take it anymore, and the next thing they knew, the youngest was balling his eyes out. Midori opened her arms and Mikey barreled into the couch, leaning heavily against her. Midori did her best to comfort both of the younger turtles. Leonardo sat on the arm of the couch and pulled Donnie into a tight hug.

Midori smiled sadly and did the same with Michelangelo. She kissed the youngest turtle's forehead in a very motherly-like fashion. Mikey stared up at her with wide eyes. "Raph will come back…right?"

Midori hugged Mikey even tighter and murmured. "Yes he will, Mikey."

"Indeed. We must believe in that, my sons. Never give up hope in your brother's abilities. He will return to us." Splinter stated, his voice soft and comforting.

Leonardo muttered under his breath, not knowing his rat father's sensitive ears caught his words: "He better."

* * *

**I decided to save the Raph Dragon fight for next chapter. I expect to have two or three more chapters in this story. After that…we'll see. **

**But back to the chapter you've just read…. Well, how was it? Was the altercation between Raph and Midori believable? What about Mikey and Donnie's reactions? Review Please!**


	31. Quarrel or Quarry

**Hahaha...the long awaited battle is finally here...**

* * *

**Ch. 31-Quarrel or Quarry?**

Two nights.

Two nights since he'd left home. Two nights since he'd begun his search and so far, no luck.

Wherever Dragon was hiding, it was a good place. Neon green eyes narrowed as a thought struck him: _What if Dragon isn't hiding? _Assuming that Ryuu knew about Raphael's relationship with Midori, then Dragon also knew Raphael would come after him. In which case he wouldn't have to hide. The huntsman would simply wait for Raph to come to him.

The hotheaded turtle reminded himself that Dragon was a hunter of the first order and wouldn't be easily defeated. What was it that Master Splinter always said?

_There will always come a time, my sons, where balance shifts and the hunter becomes the hunted._

_I certainly hope that's true. _Raphael thought as he neared his destination. His feet ground to a halt on a nearby rooftop and he glanced over at the roof of the apartment building where Midori's uncle lived. Dragon was there. Lurking in the shadows. Raph could sense it.

A clap of thunder rang through the sky and rain began to pour down.

_Sometimes, it's good to be a turtle._ Raph thought as the rain rolled easily off his skin, not bothering him in the slightest. With a deep breath the hotheaded turtle leapt down to the apartment building roof.

"Dragon." There was no answer. "I know you're there." Again there was no answer. "I've come alone. We're going to settle this here and now."

Finally, after a long, tense moment of silence, a deep, gravel voice floated back from the shadows, "Really? Well, that would be positively…"

Raph's muscles tensed as Dragon stopped short. He took a step back, his hands flying to his sais as he searched the darkness surrounding him. The rain made it difficult for him to rely on his senses since most of them were being obscured. Just as he turned, Raphael's senses exploded with pain…

"...thrilling." The voice floated towards him as everything began to swirl.

And everything…went…black.

* * *

Master Splinter emerged from the dojo in an almost trance-like state. His sons and Midori turned towards him, confused by the expression on his face. Suddenly the old rat stumbled.

Leonardo shot forward and caught his rat master, his eyes filled with shock. "Master Splinter! Sensei?" There was no response and the eldest turtle struggled to contain his panic. "Father?!"

The old rat looked down and away from his sons' questioning and worried stares. Then, as though he had been hit by a tidal wave, Splinter's eyes snapped open. "It has begun." He murmured softly.

Midori's honey-colored eyes widened and her heart began to beat faster. He couldn't mean…

"Raphael has engaged Dragon."

"You can sense him?" Midori asked in awe.

Leo didn't give the old rat a chance to answer Midori's question as he immediately asked, "What's happening?"

Splinter lowered his gaze. "The battle has only just begun."

"But how's Raph doing?" The eldest turtle asked, insistently.

The old rat refused to answer.

_That's it! _Midori thought, angrily, as she sprang up from her seat.

Leonardo caught her shoulder as she began to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"I can't just sit here and allow Raphael to die fighting my battles for me!"

Leo's face was a mixture of pain and horror. "You can't. I promised Raph…"

Midori snarled back over her shoulder at the eldest turtle, her parting words, "Try and stop me."

Leo was about to head off in pursuit when Master Splinter's hand caught his shoulder. "No, my son. I'm afraid this battle is not ours to fight."

* * *

Gradually everything grew lighter and Raphael woke to find himself lying prone at Dragon's feet. He coughed a little, vaguely noting the blood that stained the pavement as he did so. "You…Why didn't you just kill me, then?"

"There is a fine line between a hunter and an executioner. There's no sport in killing an immobile target."

"So, what? You want me to get up and run for you?" Raph muttered breathlessly.

Dragon's chuckle was sickening. "No need to trouble yourself with over-exertions, but I am looking forward to our battle."

Raph growled and pounced up at Dragon with all his might. For a few moments, the hotheaded turtle had the upper hand, but not for long.

Dragon's superior height and added strength gave him the ability to reverse the turtle's hold with efficacy. Ryuu slammed Raphael against the concrete stairwell with vigor. There was a sickening thud and extreme pain brought Raph to the brink of passing out. Dragon lifted the turtle, spun him around, and proceeded to send Raph crashing straight through the concrete structure that housed the stairs down into the apartments. Raph landed in a pile of concrete and debris, his vision going in and out. Still, Raph had enough sense to know that Dragon was coming after him and he somehow managed to yank himself to his feet. The hothead put all of his training to good use as his sweeping technique enabled him to dodge a couple of potentially dangerous blows.

Occasionally Raphael would manage to get a blow or two here or there. His best shot was actually a narrow miss, but the prongs of his sai cut a deep mark into the side of Dragon's face. Ryuu was enraged and his anger grabbed hold of him, temporarily giving Raph the advantage.

But it wasn't long before Dragon grew frustrated and drew one of his blades.

Ryuu made a couple of fast stabs, none of them truly reaching their intended marks. The third attempt ended up making a nasty chink in the lower left side of Raphael's plastron. Dragon took advantage of Raph's momentary distraction to attack head on. Punch after punch bombarded Raphael's plastron. Suddenly Dragon reached out, and before Raph could counter, grabbed the turtle's left arm and bent it backwards before applying extreme force. A crack, followed by Raph's cry of pain cut through the sound of rain hitting the rooftops.

The turtle fell with a thud and Dragon was about to make the final strike.

* * *

A sword intercepted his fell swoop with a mighty clang.

"Not on my watch." Jade removed her helmet and cast it off to the side, where it hit the roof with a thud. "Your quarrel is with me."

Ryuu did the same, removing his helmet and tossing it away. His smirk was absolutely vicious. "Your quarrel, but my quarry, my dear." He hissed, waving his sword over Raphael's prone form.

Her eyes were on fire. "Over my dead body."

Ryuu's eyes glinted, maliciously, "So be it."

Lightning flashed and thunder roared as they blades crashed.

* * *

**Review please! **


	32. Hold On

**Ch. 32-Hold On**

Midori struggled to meet her uncle blow for blow. As much as she hated to admit it, the kunoichi was rapidly losing fighting ground. Not only that, but the concrete roof was slick from rain and covered in a thin layer of wet dirt, making things all the messier.

Yes, she was engaged in a battle, yes she was trying to defeat her uncle, but all the while Midori's mind was turned in a different direction. Raphael. She had saved his life, and she had expected him to jump up and get right back into the fight.

Yet that was just it. Raph hadn't moved at all. Even though Midori's mind didn't have the time to dwell too deeply on the fact, as she was currently engaged in a battle, it worried her.

Midori spun the jitte in her hands so smoothly and fluidly it would have made Raphael full to the brim with pride. She had learned from the master, after all.

Dragon's katana met the jitte with a hard clang. Midori grinned as her uncle's blade was finally exactly where she wanted it. She twisted the jitte with all her might. There was a scrape and a deep groaning sound followed by a high-pitched crack. Midori's grin turned into a full smirk. _They don't call them sword breakers for nothing. _She thought, spinning the jitte in her hand once more.

Ryuu took a step back, slightly stunned. Midori struck faster than the lightning in the sky above.

Dragon fell backwards and hit the ground hard. He pushed himself up onto his forearms and chuckled. "So you think that's it, hm? Did you really think it would end this way?" Dragon snarled angrily and turned his face up towards her. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and gave her a reddened smile.

Midori's lip curled up into a snarl and she pointed her mother's tachi at her uncle's throat.

Dragon's smile widened. "I know as well as you do that you can't kill me."

"Yes I can." She muttered, her eyes on fire.

"Then do it. Prove to me that you have what it takes…to be an assassin of the night."

The tip of the blade pressed even harder against Dragon's throat. For almost a full minute they stared at each other, neither moving the slightest inch.

Dragon's smile grew. It was working. He could tell that the longer they kept eye contact, the faster Midori lost confidence.

Midori stared into her uncle's deep, brown eyes for the first time in ages. The eyes that were once so comforting had turned maniacal, sinister, and leering. But the longer she stared the more she began to think about the past…about the way he used to be…Her eyes closed and she sheathed the tachi. _No. I can't do this. I can't kill a man that I've known all my life. Regardless of what he did, I can't._

Cold hands shot out and grabbed her wrists and she struggled. Dragon held both her wrists in one hand and pulled her close with the other. Midori attempted to wrench herself free of his grip, but it was useless.

Dragon brought Midori to a stand-still as she felt the curved edge of a dagger press against her neck. "As I said before, it really is a shame that you must suffer the same fate as your mother." Dragon smirked and took the tachi from Midori's belt, placing it in his own. "I deserved to inherit this from our father, but your mother got it instead of me. Now it is rightfully mine."

* * *

A scuffle of movement. Faint voices somewhere near. The pounding of rain on the rooftop around him. Consciousness slowly returning…

Raph looked up. Dragon had cornered Midori. He was holding a dagger tightly to her throat. _No!_

Raph's vision was blurry, his muscles were weak and he couldn't move his left arm, but he pushed all of that aside. This was not the time.

Midori would **not** get hurt. He was going to push past all the pain and take this guy down once and for all.

No matter the cost.

Raphael used his legs to shift his weight to the right, using only that hand to push himself up off the ground. The world spun, but he shook it off. _This ends now. _He thought as he pounced, latching onto Dragon and pushing the villain practically to the edge of the roof. Neon green eyes darkened and determination filled the glowing irises.

Raphael glanced back over his shoulder, making eye contact with Midori. The red-masked turtle pressed his hand against his plastron right over his heart, the same way he had done the morning he'd left. _I'll always be with you._

Midori's eyes widened. She wanted to move. She willed her feet to send her forward, but the command was overridden by a split second of shock. By the time she actually had begun to run, it was too late.

* * *

Raphael sheathed his sais in his belt and dodged Dragon's attack, using his sweeping technique and the kata Midori had taught him. Raphael took one last glance at Midori, who was now running towards them. He whispered under his breath, "I love you." Before both he and Dragon tumbled over the building's edge.

Raph struggled, trying to hold Dragon beneath himself for the impact, but he already injured and had lost the use of one arm so he quickly lost that battle.

Dragon held Raphael in a tight lock underneath him. The first thing they impacted with was a closed dumpster. The hunter relished the turtle's cries of pain as shell hit the thick plastic with an audible crack.

They rolled off the dumpster and again they tumbled. Raph landed on the ground of the alley with a pained groan. Dragon smirked and pounced, intending to finish this once and for all.

The sound of a blade ripping through flesh made the rain seem like mere background noise.

Dragon's eyes were wide. Slowly, the dark brown eyes traveled downward. He stared at the turtle underneath him, then his shocked eyes moved to the tachi embedded in his chest. Then, he stared back at the turtle.

Raphael's neon green eyes were dark and angry, burning with a disturbingly cool fire. "I grabbed it during the fall." He stated quietly. An emerald green hand reached out and tightly gripped the handle of the tachi. "I release you from this world as punishment for your foul deeds. May you live on in the hearts of your fellow men and serve as an example." Raph pushed himself up so that he was mere inches away from Dragon's face. "Men who betray and murder their families pay the price."

With one, swift yank the blade was freed and blood poured from Dragon's wound. Raph's eyes only grew darker and harder. "They die…without honor."

Dragon collapsed in a heap, one last shaking breath escaping him before he went limp. Raphael drew away, and stood.

* * *

"Raphael!"

The turtle looked up just in time to see Midori jump down from the fire escape above. She ran over and barreled into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Raphael hugged her back and stroked her hair softly as she tucked her head under his chin.

"Thank goodness." Midori murmured as she held him close.

"You shouldn't have come. You could've been killed." Raph growled.

"And if I hadn't, you would have been." She retorted.

Raphael's eyes were stern. But before he could argue the point any further, he realized that she was no longer looking at him. Her eyes were somewhere else…Dragon. Slowly, Midori turned back to Raphael, "You killed him?"

Raph's eyes glassed over a little, "Yes."

Midori nodded and said nothing more about it. She approached Ryuu's body. "I-I tried." She whispered.

Raphael raised an eye-ridge. "What do you mean?"

"He gave me a chance to finish him. B-but I couldn't. I couldn't do it. I couldn't." There were tears in her eyes now.

Raph put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed tightly. "I understand. It's not your fault. That's why I had to do it, love. To protect you, to keep you safe, to keep you from having to kill someone who once meant a lot to you."

Midori's mouth gave him the teeniest, tiniest, little grin of gratitude.

Raph smiled back at her…until the shock wore off. Suddenly the turtle was in agony, battling off waves and waves of searing pain. He tottered a little, his grip on Midori's shoulders tightening.

Honey-colored eyes caught the look in Raphael's eyes and her arms shot out to support him. "Raph?! Raph, are you alright?! Raph answer me!"

Midori suddenly found herself supporting most of the turtle's body weight, and she lowered him slowly to the ground. Tears began to form in her eyes. Her hand cupped his face, rubbing at his cheek, worriedly. "Raph?"

He smiled dimly and latched onto the hand that was stroking his face. "I love you." Raph whispered as he kissed her hand, lovingly. His eyes closed and his eye-ridges furrowed in a pained expression.

Midori kissed his cheek softly. Her other hand fumbled for her t-phone, holding down a speed dial. It didn't matter which one of Raph's brothers she got as long as she reached them.

The voice on the other end was Leo's. He sounded anxious and panicked. _"Midori! Where are you?"_

"Ninth and Baker, behind the Buxton apartment building. Get here as soon as you can."

Just as she was about to hang up, an insistent call of _"Midori"_ brought her back to the phone. Leo's voice faded and grew rough as he slowly asked, _"How's Raph?"_

Midori's golden eyes glanced down at the red-masked turtle cradled in her arms. "Alive." She answered, and she heard Leonardo let out a shaky breath. Her tone grew grave once more as she went on, "Get here as fast as you can. He's injured."

She could feel the frown in Leo's voice as he stated evenly, _"I'm handing you over to Don."_

_"Midori?"_

"Yes Donnie."

The genius sounded borderline frantic. _"Listen carefully. I need you to describe the injuries to me in as much detail as you can, and don't worry we're already on our way. But I can fix him up faster if I know in advance what I'm going to be working with."_

The kunoichi's observant eyes swept over her red-masked lover's form. "Well, he has a shallow wound in his left side that seems to have lost a lot of blood, oh and formed a small chink in his shell."

She could envision Donatello's nod. _"Okay, what else?"_

"Um, his left arm is in really bad shape. It looks like it's just been dislocated at the elbow, but it could be fractured."

_"Alright, go on."_

"His plastron is covered in dents, scrapes and marks. I think his shell is cracked in several places. And I—" her voice broke as she cradled his head and felt the already swollen lump and crusted blood there.

_"Midori? Are you alright? Midori!"_

"Donnie…He has head trauma."

_"How bad?"_ Don stated, his voice absolutely stone cold.

"I don't know. There's a big bump, and it feels like it was bleeding, but it's stopped. The blood is all dry now."

A small sigh of relief was heard before Don went on, _"Good. That's a good sign. We're almost there. Don't worry, Midori. Raph's a fighter."_

Midori nodded even though she knew the smart turtle couldn't see her, and hung up. Her eyes looked down at the vulnerable, unconscious form in her arms. Worry plagued her heart.

_Hold on._

* * *

**So how was it? And I know I said I'd only have 32 chapters, but I've extended it to 35. So don't worry, there is more to come. **

**Review Please! Did it make sense? I tried to make it realistic…**


	33. Someone's Gotta Give

**This chapter took a little longer but is absolutely jam packed with angst. Leo worries about Raph, Don worries about Raph, Midori mostly in the background for the first half and comes back in at the end. We get some nice M &amp; M (Midori and Mikey) bonding, and Splinter being the concerned rat father that he is.**

* * *

**Ch. 33-Someone's Gotta Give**

The minutes dragged on. Time came to a near standstill. Midori began to rock back and forth in anxiousness and dread. She cradled his head in her hands, murmuring softly to him.

Shell, she didn't know what else to do. She didn't have any medical supplies, and even if she did, she lacked the knowledge necessary to treat the injuries that needed urgent care. She couldn't move him, he was at least a good eighty pounds heavier than she was. And in his current state, moving him probably wasn't the best idea.

Midori's whispers grew softer and her pleas more insistent as more time ticked slowly past. Raph seemed to be going in and out of consciousness. There was an occasional groan and every-so-often a sudden twitch, but his eyes still did not open.

Midori pressed her forehead against his, tenderly. "I love you…so much. Please. Please hang in there for me." She begged, her voice hoarse, her eyes filled with tears.

Someone landed in the alley behind her, but Midori's attention was focused solely on Raphael. A hand grabbed her shoulder. The kunoichi's battle instincts flared. She shot up and turned on her assailant with her jitte in her hands.

There was a vague sound of surprise before twin katanas crossed the ancient steel weapons with a clang. Golden eyes slowly recognized the form of the eldest turtle through the dark sheets of rain cascading down on the roof around them. She sheathed her weapons and turned to gaze back at Raphael.

Leo's dark blue eyes followed Midori's gaze and fear clawed at his heart as he beheld the red-masked turtle laying limp on the ground. He rushed over and dropped to his knees, staining his kneepads in water and mud. Leo didn't care. The only thing that he cared about at this particular moment was his brother.

Donatello and Michelangelo dropped down into the alley with soft thuds. Donnie was carrying his black, medical bag. Mikey froze about two yards away, in fear.

Leonardo was bent over Raphael, with tears in his eyes and a hitch in his voice. "I never should have let you come alone. I wish—" Leo stopped himself. The eldest ran a hand over his immediate younger brother's cheek as Raphael's words echoed: _Not all wishes can come true, Leo. _"I love you, little brother. Please don't leave us…me…I'm not ready for this."

There was fear in Leo's eyes. Leonardo, the oh-so-fearless-leader was afraid. Michelangelo was terrified. Leo was afraid. Mikey couldn't move. He was paralyzed with fear.

Donatello pushed past the youngest turtle and moved straight to Raphael's side. He bent down and felt for Raph's pulse. His observant, brown eyes ran over Raph's injuries. "We need to get him back to the lair."

* * *

Leonardo had never driven so fast in his entire life. Don hadn't said anything about how quickly they needed to get back, but Leo had caught the grim glint in the brainiac's eyes. The sooner the better. _Hang in there Raph. _

Donatello was thinking much the same thing, as he did what he could to stop the bleeding from the wound in Raph's side. He patched it up and then began immediate work on the other cuts, particularly the ones that were losing a lot of blood.

* * *

The second they entered the lair, Michelangelo and Leonardo lifted Raphael onto the lab table. Mikey frowned, his eyes filled with tears. He wanted to reach out, to say something, anything, but he couldn't. He was too afraid. Afraid of losing his best friend. The youngest turtle took a step back, allowing Donatello to go to work.

But Leonardo wouldn't budge. The eldest stood there. One of his hands gently ran over Raphael's.

The brainiac put his hand on Leo's shoulder and pulled the eldest away. Leo resisted and Don glared. "Leonardo, I need to examine him. The longer you hold me back, the more you endanger our brother's life. I understand how you feel, but I need you to back off."

Leo frowned, but he pulled away.

At that second, Raphael twitched and a small groan escaped him.

Leo's eyes widened.

Donnie patted the side of Raph's face gently. "Raph. Raph! Raphael, can you hear me?"

Raph shook his head back and forth, as though trying to loosen Don's grip.

"Open your eyes, Raph."

"Nuh." The red-masked turtle whimpered.

Leo bent back down by Raphael's side and whispered, pleadingly, "C'mon Raphie, please. Please, little brother, for me?"

Emerald Green eyelids fluttered open just the tiniest bit. "Leo?"

The blue-masked turtle let out a wan smile. "Yeah, little brother, I'm here." Raph's right hand slowly lifted, as though reaching for something. Leonardo took it slowly into one of his own. "We're here."

Suddenly Raph's eyes snapped shut and he grimaced. His grip tightened and his breathing rate quickened.

Don's brown eyes flashed his hand shot out to brush against Raphael's skin. "Rapid breathing. Skin is cool, clammy and uncharacteristically moist, slight paleness—"

"Leo…what's…? I can't…?" Raphael was pale and confused.

"Confusion…" Don's eyes widened as he made a rapid diagnosis. "Leo!" Don yelled, desperately. "He's going into hypovolemic shock!"

The blue-masked turtle felt panic rise in his chest at Donnie's tone. "Well, what's that mean?"

"It means he's lost too much blood." Don turned to the youngest, "Mikey get the rolling lab table, now!"

Mikey nodded. He found the table and frowned, "It's got stuff on it!" he yelled.

"Then knock it off!" Don yelled, insistently.

Mikey did as told and rushed the table over next to the one Raphael was laying on.

Donnie's eyes were bland as he went on, "Alright, I need everybody out." The genius turned to his eldest brother, "Except you. Get on that table."

* * *

Midori, who until then had watched in silent shock, keeping her distance from the commotion shot forward, only to be held back. She turned and glanced down at the hand tightly grabbing her wrist, then up to it's owner. Mikey's face was grim.

"Come on, sis. I know you wanna stay, but…we gotta go so Don can do his thing. Raph will be okay. Please. I know you're worried, and probably scared. Shell, I'm scared! I'm absolutely terrified, but our hanging around isn't going to help anybody."

Midori's eyes softened and she cast one last, concerned glance at Raphael, before turning away and allowing Mikey to lead her away.

* * *

Leonardo did as Don ordered without question. He knew what was coming. In a family of ninjas, you had to be prepared for everything. As such, they were all aware of their respective blood types. He and Raph were the only ones with O positive.

Mikey was A positive, Donnie was AB positive and Master Splinter was also A positive. Which meant that Raph and Leo could give to any of their family members, but they could only receive from one another.

The eldest turtle held out his arm as Donatello approached him with the needle. Leo felt the prick as it pierced the skin, but paid it no heed.

Instead, he turned his head so that he could stare at Raphael on the lab table next to him. _Hang in there, little brother. Donnie's gonna get us both through this. I promise._

About ten minutes later, Leo began feeling a little bit dizzy. Donatello stopped his work on Raphael and rushed over to remove the needle. Just as the brainiac was about to do so, Leonardo's hand stilled him.

"No Don, take as much as you need."

Donatello shook his head and swatted Leo's hand away. " I can't do that, Leo. He needs more than you can afford to give, and I'm not about to risk both of you." His voice was stern. He removed the needle smoothly and effectively, quickly stopping the bleeding and taping a cotton ball over it tightly.

"I can give more" Leo argued insistently.

Don's eyes narrowed. "No you can't, Leo. I already came close to losing one brother today. Like I said, I'm not going to risk losing another."

"But Raph…"

"Raphael will be fine, his blood levels are low, but stable, thanks to you. I also managed to patch up that wound in his side, so he shouldn't be losing any more blood any time soon." Don stated as he bent over his immediate older brother and removed the equipment. Leo sat up and was about to get up, but Don caught him and pushed him back, making him sit with his back propped up against the wall. "Oh no you don't. You can sit up, but you're staying here. It's not safe for you to get up just yet."

Leo's hands gripped the cup that the brainiac shoved into his chest. _Water?_

"You need fluids. Drink." The genius commanded.

Leo did as he was told. When the water was gone, Don took the cup, refilled it and gave it back to him.

Don opened his mouth to speak, but Leo cut him off. "I know: Drink."

Don nodded. Then he turned back to Raphael and began work on Raph's shell.

Leo drank the second glass of water more slowly as he watched Donatello at work. His dark blue eyes deepened with thought as he stared. He pondered how the intelligent turtle could do all of this. Wasn't Donatello as disturbed as they were? Didn't it bother him that Raphael's injuries were so extensive, so threatening?

"It does get to me sometimes."

Leo belatedly realized he'd been staring directly at the brainiac. "How did you know what I was…?"

"I know that look, Leo. I've seen it before, though it usually comes from Raph. It's not that I don't feel anything, big brother. But I have to push all of that aside. I have to live with it. I have to go to work, because in the end, I'm the only one standing between you guys and death. I have to push past my feelings, past my doubts and all my shortcomings, so that I can save your lives." As the brainiac finished wrapping Raph's carapace, his brown eyes landed on Raphael's left arm. It looked abnormal, dislocated at the elbow. "I'm gonna need Sensei's help for this." With that thought, the smart turtle left the lab.

Leonardo stared after Donnie in awe. _When did my little purple-masked brother get so strong? _He wondered absently.

A moment later, Don returned with Sensei. They moved over to Raphael's side and gripped his arm. Slowly, they began to move Raph's bones back into place.

Don glanced at Leo and muttered, "You might wanna look away, Leo."

Leo wanted to, but found himself unable to. He watched with pained eyes as Raphael, unconscious though he was, whimper and try to pull away from the source of pain.

He watched and his eyes widened as he was presented with a repeat of the events of all those years ago. When they were almost seven…When he had failed.

He had failed again. He had failed to protect Raphael again! _I won't let you get hurt again, Raphael. I swear it. _Echoed through his mind as tears rolled down his cheeks.

There was no greater failure than this.

* * *

**With Midori and Michelangelo, following their leaving the lab...**

After Donatello booted them out of the lab, things had grown increasingly tense. There was a long moment of silence, before big, blue eyes turned to Midori. There was a subtle pain in Mikey's eyes, accentuated even further by a slight undertone of fear.

Midori's lip pushed out slightly. It was no secret that Raphael had a soft spot in his heart for his youngest brother. Therefore it was no surprise that Michelangelo rapidly managed to worm his way into her heart. The orange-masked turtle was now as much her little brother as he was Raphael's.

If Mikey's grim expression was any indication, this experience had completely derailed him. It hurt Midori to see him in such poor spirits. She was not particularly good with reassurance.

Handling Raphael was one thing. Handling his brothers was a whole different ball game. Anger was easy, but she was not a touchy-feely kind of person. As worried as she was about her boyfriend, Michelangelo needed her. And somehow, Midori knew that Raph would want her to do all she could.

Mikey had turned away and now had his back to her. Slowly, she reached out and wrapped her arms around him in a backwards hug. Michelangelo turned around and pressed into the hug, returning it full force.

Midori rubbed his carapace gently, the way she often did when Raphael was upset.

Mikey leaned into her sweet embrace. He sobbed into her shoulder, blubbering about all the things that he hadn't been able to tell Raph before the hothead left.

Midori said nothing, offering silent reassurance and support, which, strangely enough, was exactly what Michelangelo needed most. Someone with an open ear.

Eventually Mikey quieted and he pulled away. The youngest turtle's face went three shades paler, and Midori reached out to support him, fearing he was about to keel over.

"Mikey, what is it?! Are you alright?"

"Splinter." Mikey stated. "We…I have to report to Master Splinter."

Midori was still in her vigilante attire, minus her helmet, which she had left behind in all of the concern and commotion. Gloved fingers gripped Mikey's shoulder gently. "I'm going with you."

Michelangelo shook his head. "Leo usually does it, but Leo's…" Baby blue eyes glanced worriedly at the closed door to the lab. The youngest turtle straightened. "I have to do it."

Midori maintained her tight grip on his shoulder. "I understand that, Mikey. I know that you have to do it. But I see no reason why you should have to do it alone."

Mikey's smile was bitter sweet and he gave Midori a quick hug. When the orange-masked turtle spoke his voice was soft and filled with emotion. "Thanks, sis."

Midori cupped the side of Mikey's face gently. "Don't mention it. C'mon, let's go report before it gets any later."

After Midori and Mikey had both relayed the latest occurrences to their Sensei, Splinter's expression was grave. "I shall go and assist Donatello." The rat left the dojo with Midori and Michelangelo right at his heels.

It was the kunoichi who spoke first. "Master Splinter, that may not be wise. Donatello said he needed to be free of other distractions, that is why he refused to let us stay. I suggest that all three of us wait until he says otherwise."

The old rat turned back to them and his shoulders deflated. Splinter lowered his head and tried to conceal his concern. "You are right, my child. I almost allowed my emotions as a father to interfere with what is best for my son. Thank you, Midori."

"You are welcome, oji san."

The rat smiled a little when she addressed him as uncle. _Her mother's influence, no doubt._ With little warning, the rat father pulled his youngest son and his 'niece' close to him. Both teenagers latched on without question or resistance. They needed this as much as he did.

After raising four mutant turtle sons, Splinter had learned that children so often needed reassurance and hugs really were the best medicine a father could provide.

Whenever they were pained, or stressed, or hurt, he simply wrapped them in his embrace and the rest of the world ceased to exist. It was just him and little turtle sons. Nothing could harm them while they were wrapped in his arms.

But they had grown so fast. They no longer needed hugs as much as they used to. Strangely enough, Splinter found that he was now the one seeking reassurance from them. _Ironic, the way life turns around, isn't it, old rat? _He thought to himself.

Eventually they moved over to the couch, where they all sat and waited anxiously. Splinter quickly found himself with teenagers snuggling up against him on both sides. _I wonder if they realize that they are comforting me as much as I am comforting them? _ He thought. The tension in the atmosphere beyond their position indicated that they were all well aware that they were soothing each other's fears.

They remained that way for what felt like eons. Suddenly, the lab door opened with a creak and three heads shot up, and turned around to stare at Donatello. The brainiac seemed a little stunned, but quickly moved on. "Um, Sensei?"

The old rat stood.

"I'm going to need your help with this."

Splinter nodded and shakily stood. Before the purple-masked turtle could disappear back into the lab, the rat father caught his shoulder. "How is he?"

Don relaxed a little. "He's through the worst of it."

Everyone in the room let out a relieved sigh.

But Midori's frown didn't fade. "No comlpications?"

"As far as I can tell, he's going to be just fine. Leonardo should be, too."

Splinter's head snapped up, "Leonardo? What happened to Leonardo?"

Don's tone was very annoyed. "Raph needed blood. Leonardo just failed to tell me when the indicator meter reached the maximum. Meaning he gave more blood than he should have and nearly risked going into shock himself. The self-sacrificing leader jeopardized his own safety to save Raph. And while I can say the thought was appreciated, I was not at all pleased. Anyway, he's resting now and should be good to go in a couple of minutes. He's in a for a nice long lecture, too."

"So, Raphie's gonna be okay?" Mikey asked softly.

Donatello was about to be blunt, when he realized there were tears in his youngest brother's eyes. Slowly the genius reached out and pulled Michelangelo into a reassuring hug. "Yes, little brother, Raph is going to be just fine."

The whole room felt brighter at the prospect.

"Master Splinter I need your assistance. Raph's elbow was dislocated and I was hoping you'd be able to assist me with the reduction."

Splinter's face darkened. "Which elbow?"

"The left."

The old rat lowered his gaze. "The same one he dislocated as a child."

Donatello nodded. "Hai, Sensei."

"Is it serious?"

The tension slowly returned as everyone turned back towards Donatello. The tension was slowly breathed out as Don shook his head negative. "It's not very serious at all considering. I was concerned that there was a fracture, but I've run scans and Raphael appears to have been quite lucky."

"The longer we wait the harder it will be on Raphael. Come Donatello." Splinter stated and the two of them headed for the lab. The old rat held back, allowing his third son to lead the way. Splinter glanced back over his shoulder at Michelangelo, who still looked quite fearful. He smiled as he saw Midori lead the youngest of his sons back over to the couch and comfort him. _She is a very sweet child. She would make a very fine wife. _

The old rat cut his thoughts off right there. _That is not your decision to make, Yoshi. That is hers and Raphael's, if Raphael is indeed ready for that kind of commitment. _

_Indeed, now was not the time._

* * *

**Okay, so how was it? Review please! **

**I've always considered Leo the self-sacrificing type, haven't you? (We'll sort out his whole blaming himself thing later…) **

**And what about Midori and Mikey moments? Were they believable (yes, no, maybe so)? **

**How as Splinter and sons' relationship? **

**Okay, important question…Where exactly was Splinter's mind taking him at the end there? (Waggles eyebrows in very Mikey-like suggestive fashion) **

**What do you guys think of Splinter's musings?**


	34. For the love of Family

**Ch. 34-For the love of Family**

It was almost two o'clock in the morning. Leonardo couldn't sleep. His sleep was plagued by memories of Sensei setting Raphael's left arm. Images of his immediate younger brother in pain…it was no wonder he had insomnia.

The blue masked turtle moved lethargically about the lair. First the kitchen where he raided the fridge of the leftover pizza. At this point, he was too tired and far too distracted to care that the slices were cold. Raph and Mikey were notorious for eating pizza in practically any way, shape, or form, where Leonardo and Donatello were, usually a little more reserved.

Right now, as far as Leo was concerned, pizza was serving its purpose: being a comfort food. With the world crashing down around him, pizza was now his lifeline. Even Leonardo knew that he was being extremely melodramatic. After all, Raphael was alive and, according to Donatello, was going to be alright. But Leo wouldn't feel any better until after he saw that Raphael was recovering for himself.

The eldest just couldn't get past the feeling that he'd failed his younger brother somehow. Not only that, but he'd failed his entire family. He'd let them down. He'd failed to protect Raphael. And as a leader, failure to protect was unacceptable. Leonardo was well aware of the fact that Master Splinter expected him to lead the Clan after the old rat was gone. But how could he lead the clan if he'd couldn't even protect Raphael from getting hurt how the shell could he protect all three of his brothers?

Leonardo shook his head, hiding his eyes with his hand. _Hopeless. How will I ever be ready for this? _Tears began to roll down his face. His shoulders shook.

The eldest turtle stood and stumbled his way into the lab, where Raphael lay pale and still on the table. Leo plopped unceremoniously down onto the stool by his brother's side and softly gripped Raphael's right hand. Tear trails glistened on his cheeks and darkened his mask. "Oh Raph…how am I ever going to be strong enough to deal with things like this?"

There was no response. Leonardo hadn't expected one. "Sensei's always there for all of us…but what about when he's gone? You won't come to me…you'll go off on your own and end up like this and I won't be able to protect you…" His grip tightened. "Raph please…I'm begging you. We have to sort this thing out between us. I'm going to need your support as much as I need Sensei's. If we're lucky that won't be any time even remotely soon, but that's not the point. One more close call like this and I feel like I'll completely lose it. And trust me, little brother, I'm not prepared to lose any of you yet. Shell, I will never be prepared to lose anybody. I mean, who is?" Tears clouded the corners of his eyes. Finally Leonardo got to the root of his problem. "I can't help but feel like I've let you down, little brother. I love you guys so much. Seeing you like this…" The leader's voice lowered and he let go of his mask. He sounded deeply hurt and almost completely broken. "It feels like a repeat of when we were seven. I've failed you again. I'm so sorry." By this point he was crying openly.

Without any warning, emerald green fingers tightened around Leonardo's, reassuringly. Leo's eyes were the size of dinner plates. He glanced expectantly at Raphael's face, but the younger turtle showed no further sign of movement. It was as if Raph had used every ounce of his strength just to let his older brother know he was listening. Leo couldn't help but smile. That was just like Raph.

He could practically hear the hothead's voice in his head: _Hey, quit talkin' like that. That's not the Leo I know. C'mon, we're gonna make it through this, bro. Stop lookin' down and start looking up for once. You're my big brother, I'll always be here for you, bro. No matter what. I'm gonna keep fighting till the end for you guys. You oughtta know that by now. _

Tears filled his eyes yet again, but this time with a smile on his face. "Oh Raph, if you only knew how much I depend on your support."

Raph's fingers tightened once more, and Leo's smile grew even wider. He didn't need an interpreter to translate the meaning of that gesture. Raph was saying: _I do._

Leonardo woke up almost a full nine hours later in much the same position, only he didn't remember laying his head down. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that it was the middle of the day. The eldest turtle gave Raph's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it and pushing himself up. "I'll be back, Raph. But I need to go check on our brothers first."

Leo emerged from the lab cautiously. To his very great surprise, he found April and Casey on the couch, apparently waiting. When he entered their attention snapped over to him and they both stood.

April, who seemed to be the most concerned, began rattling on a mile a minute. "Leowherehaveyoubeenareyouguysokaywhathappenedyouhaven'tbeenansweringyourtphoneandIcouldntreachyouwewereworried."

Leo just stared blankly. He hadn't been able to catch more than a word here or there. Dark blue eyes slowly looked to Casey as thought begging for a translation.

"Ape says you guys haven't been answering her phone calls and she was getting worried. We got here at ten and there was nobody here. We just decided to wait for you to come back. Where is everybody?"

The eldest turtle was quite taken aback. "I-I don't know. They were here last night. And I didn't wake up until just now. I guess I fell asleep."

April had calmed down a little since her outburst. Seeing that Leonardo was well had reassured her. But something about Leo's words struck her as odd… "Wait, you fell asleep in Donnie's Lab?"

Dark blue eyes narrowed. "I wanted to be by his side."

Both the humans looked a little alarmed. Casey held April's hand reassuringly and asked, "Who? Was someone injured?"

It was Leo's turn to be surprised. "Nobody told you?"

"Told us what?"

"Four days ago Raphael left to face Dragon…alone. He succeeded, but by the time we got to him he had lost a lot of blood and was starting to go into shock. It was a very trying time for all of us." Leo stated, his voice breaking.

Casey Jones was terrified and apprehensive as he asked, "Is he…?"

"He's alive. Donnie says he'll be okay." The eldest answered.

The hockey playing human let out a sigh of ultimate relief. April still looked worried. "Leo, you look horrible. Have you eaten anything?"

"Not since last night, at Donatello's insistence. He's been dictating what I should and should not eat. And I'm sick of it. Oh, and I guess I also had some pizza at a about two in the morning…"

"Pizza at two in the morning?" Casey echoed.

Leo shrugged his shoulders. "I was stressed."

April smiled endearingly and pulled the blue-masked turtle into a hug. "He'll be okay."

Leo nodded his affirmative and returned the hug. "I know. But it looks a lot worse than it is. It's not easy seeing him like that. "

There was a brief bout of silence before the conversation took a different turn.

"So where is everyone?"

Leo looked extremely perturbed. "I have no idea. Like I said, I've been asleep. They didn't leave a note or anything?"

"We didn't bother. We figured you'd sleep long enough that you wouldn't need to know terribly soon. And if you did wake up, we thought you'd just call." Midori stated evenly as she swept into the room. Michelangelo, Donatello and Splinter were right on her heels.

Leo gave them a curious look. "Where were you?" He asked.

"Tying up loose ends." Midori stated.

There was a short silence before she went on. "We disposed of my uncle's body. He won't be found. For all Shredder will know he simply ran off with his spoils. I'll have to stay under the radar for quite a while. My uncle's disappearance so soon after my mother's death will throw me in the spotlight. I'm gonna have to disappear as well."

The blue-masked turtle nodded. "That's a good idea. I hadn't even thought about that. You'll stay here with us, of course?"

She smiled. "As long as I'm still welcome."

Leonardo reached out and put an arm over her shoulders. Midori glanced up at him curiously. Leonardo was not usually one for physical contact.

Meanwhile, Leo wasn't really certain what had come over him, but something in Midori's words had sparked him into action. Finally, it was time. Time that Midori was told exactly where she belonged.

Ocean blue met honey gold as their gazes locked. Finally Leo spoke. "You will always be welcome here, Midori. Raphael loves you. And as far as we're concerned, I think I can speak for my brothers when I say that we all love you, cousin. But…if you would allow it…I would be proud to call you my sister."

The blue-masked turtle suddenly found himself wrapped in a tight embrace, warm lips pressing fervently against his cheek. His cheeks flared bright red, before he smiled and returned the hug openly.

"Thank you." Midori said.

Leo smiled and leaned into her embrace. Her arms were wrapped so tightly around his middle he could barely breathe, but that was okay. He couldn't bring himself to care. After all, this was a momentous occasion.

Everyone in the family knew that this was probably the greatest gift Leonardo could ever bestow on anyone.

Even April and Casey were aware that this was a very important moment for the turtles. Yes, they were close friends of the turtles, and they were considered part of the clan, but even they had not been deemed siblings to the turtles. Midori was special. That was for sure.

"I love you too, Onii-san."

Leo's smile grew even wider. "Welcome to the family, little sister."

Donatello and Michelangelo exchanged glances before breaking out into matching smiles as they joined the hug. Mikey whooped as he wrapped his arms around her. "Dude! I've always wanted a sister!"

Suddenly the sound of someone clearing their throat and the rough tap of a stick made the three turtles pull abruptly away and allow their rat father to approach. "Midori. My sons are proud to call you their sister, and I am proud to call you my niece. Your father was a great man. I will always appreciate what he did for me, and I know that the results of his actions will bind our clans together for many years to come. I would not attempt to overshadow or disrespect Kenji, by calling you my daughter, but I shall forever consider you one of my own children."

There were tears in Midori's eyes as she threw her arms around Master Splinter. "I-I don't know what to say…"

"Then say nothing, my child." Master Splinter answered as he returned her hug.

Yes, Midori had lost the last living member of her family, but she had gained a new family. A mutant one, but that didn't matter to her. As far as she was concerned, she had never belonged up in the city. This family had taken her in when no one else would.

Not to mention that she was 'madly' in love with the dangerously attractive second son of a man whom her mother had always said was one of the greatest, most honorable men she'd ever known. And Raphael…Where did she even begin. She'd never had a better friend, she'd never had anyone for whom she'd cared so deeply. He was everything she'd always wanted and more.

She couldn't be happier. It seemed incredible how lucky she'd been to have the Hamato clan by her side through this whole thing.

Now all she needed was Raphael to wake up. She couldn't wait to tell him the news.


	35. Love

**Here we go! Last chapter!**

* * *

**Ch. 35-Love**

Neon green eyes fluttered open slowly. The lab was dark and he leaned into the warm arms wrapped tenderly around him. Briefly he glanced at Midori's sleeping face. With a soft smile and a tender caress of her cheek, the turtles eyes shut once again as he wrapped her protectively in his arms.

The next morning when Midori awoke she found herself being held tightly against her boyfriend's plastron. She smiled from ear to ear. Her hands flew up to cup both sides of his face. She pressed her lips to his fervently.

As far as Raphael was concerned, there was no better way to wake up. He smiled into the kiss and his eyelids lifted slowly. It was no secret that the hothead was extremely tired. In fact, though he'd just woken up from a five day unconsciousness he was just plain exhausted. Still he smiled lovingly at his human girlfriend. Raph tried to lift his left hand, when he realized that, not only did it hurt, but it was also in a sling.

"Your left arm was dislocated at the elbow. Master Splinter and Donnie took care of it. It should heal up just fine."

Raph sighed and rolled his eyes. "Great. And here I've hoping I'd never have to go through that hell again."

Midori frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"When I was little I dislocated this elbow one time while I was out in the sewers with Leo. He never really got over it, keeps blaming himself. At least that won't happen this time." Raph stated evenly. Then he noticed that Midori was looking away from him.

"Leonardo was in here with you when Sensei and Donnie fixed your elbow. He saw everything. He…um…he hasn't been himself since."

Raph's bottom lip pushed out in a frown. He struggled and began to sit up.

Midori shot up off the table and put a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't…"

"Then tell Leo to get his tail in here now. He'll tear himself apart if we just leave him alone. I need to talk to him. Look help me sit up, will ya?"

"Raph, I already told you…" She began, but he cut her off.

"Please Midori. I need to be to be able to look directly in his eyes for this. Please just trust me, love."

Midori smiled and did as he asked. Then she smirked. "Love?"

Raph shrugged, "What would you rather I call you? Sweet-cakes? Honey? Babe?...Princess?"

Midori mock-gagged. "You wouldn't dare."

Raphael smirked. "Oh I wouldn't, eh?"

Without any warning Midori swept up onto the lab table, put her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

Raph let out a hum of contentment and melted into the kiss. Slowly as they pulled away from each other Raph muttered. "Now get my big brother in here."

Midori's honey-colored eyes glinted as she nodded. The human walked over to the door of the lab. Raphael admired the way her hair swung behind her as she went. When Midori reached the door she poked her head out, and to Raph's very great surprise yelled, "Onii-san!"

Raph vaguely heard Leo's voice answer her, though he couldn't really make out what was being said.

Midori murmured something about needing to do something-or-other and Raph heard her ask Leo to keep an eye out in the lab. Raph nodded. He was glad that Midori hadn't said he was awake, because then the whole family would have come rushing in and Leo would most likely be trying to avoid him.

Leo came in slowly, dejectedly, with his head bowed low. He took a seat at Raph's side without once looking up.

Raph reached over and grabbed his older brother's hand tightly. Leo stared up at him in shock. "R-raph!"

"Leo."

"I-I have to tell the others!" The eldest turned to run off, but Raph held him tightly by the wrist.

"No. We need to talk first." Raph stated coolly. "Midori said you watched Sensei and Donnie setting my arm."

Leonardo refused to make eye contact with him.

"She also said that afterwards you were extremely disturbed. I just want to make sure you aren't blaming yourself."

"Raph—if I was truly a good big brother I would never have let you go alone."

Raph rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Leo, it isn't like I gave you much choice. You can't think it's your fault just because."

"Big brothers are supposed to protect their younger brothers, Raph. I failed you." Leo whispered, unable to keep the pain from his voice and the tears from his eyes.

"And what about Mikey and Donnie? You think they felt any less terrified than you? You think Donnie wasn't blaming himself for not being able to do more to heal me? Do you think Mikey wasn't blaming himself for not being able to help me? You aren't the only one who hurts, big brother."

Leo's shoulder shook. He refused to meet Raph's gaze. "I watched them put your arm back in place. It was like a repeat of all those years ago. I—I—" Tears streamed down the blue-masked turtle's cheeks and he flung himself into his immediate younger brother. Wrapping his arms tightly around the red-masked turtle's form.

Raph rubbed Leo's carapace comfortingly. It wasn't often that the blue-masked leader needed this kind of reassurance, but whenever he did, Raphael was always there.

"We could have lost you, Raph." Leo sobbed.

Raph frowned. "I'm sorry I had to put you through that, Leo. I'm so sorry. But I did what I had to. I accomplished my goal."

Leo smiled and hugged his brother tighter. "I know, and I'm so proud of you."

Raph smiled back and patted Leo's carapace. "I don't wanna hear any more of this 'failing me' nonsense, alright? I couldn't ask for a better big bro, Leo. I just want ya to know that."

Leo smiled, this time with tears of joy. "I love you too, little brother."

Silence passed between them as they simply reveled in each others presence. Finally Raph spoke again, his voice curious, "So, um, why did Midori call you onii-san?"

Leonardo looked a little bit stunned. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"She's been officially accepted as a member of the family. Sensei even declared her his daughter."

Raph's eyes widened. Then he smiled. "It's about time."

Leonardo returned his immediate younger brother's smile. Then the deep blue eyes glinted mischievously and he smirked. "You know little brother, I'm not certain, but I think that Sensei is looking forward to having her as a daughter-in-law."

Raphael shot up, jerking his injured shell. He hissed a little before turning to his older brother in shock. "WHAT?"

Leo's smirk only grew wider.

"Who said anything about marriage?!" Raph asked.

The older turtle shrugged. "No one, but c'mon Raph, you love her, don't you?"

"Yeah, but marriage?"

"You want to spend the rest of your life with her, right?" Leo asked.

Raph sighed. "Well, yeah. But marriage is a big commitment, Leo. I'm not sure that I'm ready."

"Oh come on, Raph. You two have done well so far. You love her, you want to spend the rest of your life with her, so why not?"

Raph's bottom lip pushed out in thought. "I don't know. I guess I'm just…I'm scared. What if she says no?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "She loves you, little brother. She won't say no."

That didn't help ease Raph's nerves at all. He still wasn't sure whether he really wanted to do this or not…but he'd give it some thought at least.

Leo stood with a smile and moved over to the door. "I'll go tell the others you're awake. You think it over little brother. I think you might just end up getting hitched."

* * *

For a few moments Raphael pored over the issue in silence. The next thing he knew he looked up into his father's eyes. "Master Splinter."

"You seem very deep in thought, my son."

"Father I wanted to ask you…" Before he could finish Raphael was rudely interrupted by his other brothers who burst into the room.

Mikey jumped onto the lab table and pulled Raphael into a hug. "Raphie!"

"Ey, Mikey." Raphael murmured, soothingly stroking the young turtle's carapace.

"I was so afraid! I thought you were gonna die!"

"Sh. It's okay Mikey. I'm fine, I'm right here, you don't have to be afraid anymore."

Mikey sighed contentedly as he melted into his older brother's arms.

Donatello approached slowly, with a frown on his face. "You technically aren't well enough to be sitting up right now, but I know that any attempt to dissuade you would be completely useless."

"Got that right."

Don's eyes glinted knowingly. "I take it you've already spoken to Leo."

"And Midori, yes." Raph stated.

"I don't suppose our Fearless leader told you he almost killed himself by giving you more blood than he should have?" Don muttered, blandly.

Raph's bright green eyes widened in shock. "What? Is he alright?"

"He's fine. He needed a couple days of rest and restricted training, but he's just fine. He was lucky. As I say, that stunt could have cost him his life, even if it did save yours."

Raphael's frown was deep. "I'll give him a good whack in the head when I see him later."

Don sighed. "Don't bother. I've already done so on multiple occasions. He very nearly gave me a heart attack, and then there would have been three of us." The genius said exasperatedly.

Raph was not pleased.

"Eh-hem." Master Splinter muttered. All eyes turned to the old rat. "If you would please, my sons. Your brother and I have something to discuss."

The other two turtles nodded, each giving their injured brother a hug before they left.

"You were saying, my son?" the old rat prompted.

Raph held out his right hand and his father took it. "Sensei, what would your opinion be if I…"

"If you what, Raphael."

Raph's voice was barely audible. "If I asked Midori to…to marry me?"

The old rat smiled gently, "I would be most pleased, my child."

"You don't think it's too soon?"

Splinter's smile faded and he regarded his son very seriously. "I will not pressure you if you do not feel ready, my child."

Bright green eyes gleamed. "I-I'm ready, Sensei, but what if Midori isn't? What if I push her too far?"

Master Splinter's lips pulled into another smile at his second son's expression. "You have nothing to fear, my child. If she is not ready, she will let you know, but she will not refuse. I assure you she is just as in love with you as you are with her."

Raph's expression was contemplative. "I'll think about it, Father."

"I know you will, my child. And know this, Raphael, no matter what your decision, your brothers and I will always be here to support you if you need our assistance."

"If I'm gonna do this, I'll need all the help I can get, Father."

The old rat smiled. "Just let us know, my son." A soft hand ran along the side of Raphael's face. "I love you very much, little one. I always have. You will always be a child in your father's eyes."

Raph smiled and pulled his rat-father into a tight embrace. "I love you too, Father."

After the old rat left the room, the emerald green turtle fell deep into his own thoughts. Internally he came to a decision. _It won't hurt to ask. Like Leo said, I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, so why not take it one step further?_

* * *

**The End…**

**Oh, come on, did you really think I'd end it like that?**

**…**

**…**

**…**

**…JK! I wouldn't leave you in suspense like that! I decided last week that I will have thirty-six chapters instead of thirty-five! Hehe! **


	36. A Ring for Your Finger

**Hey everyone, I know it's been a long time, but I have other stories I was working on and I felt like those were more urgent, so that's why I'm only getting this up now. SO…I finally wrote their wedding scene!Yay! Enjoy**

**P.S. If you want to know why I changed the image, it's because I felt like I needed to show you guys what Midori's wedding dress looks like because I didn't really explain it in detail here. **

* * *

**Ch. 36-A ring for your finger**

Midori hummed quietly to herself as she worked in the kitchen. She had finally managed, after all this time, to persuade Michelangelo to let her cook. April strolled in, her arms laden with groceries. She set them down on the counter as gently as she could, before turning to Midori with a smile.

"Hey there lover girl!"

Midori raised an eyebrow before shaking her head with a chuckle. "Oh come on, April…Just because Raph and I are..." Midori looked down as her cheeks colored.

April smirked. She pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the counter and squealed. "Look, you didn't hear it from me, but Casey said that Raph's been asking a lot of questions about rings." April wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Midori rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, why would Raph buy me a ring?" The teenager asked, turning back to the sink. Her long, black hair echoed her movements, the light glinting off of it almost hypnotically.

April slid a little closer to her, "I don't know…maybe he wants to make your relationship permanent? You know…make some vows? Maybe say a little 'I do'?"

Midori's eyes flew wide open, her body completely rigid. "…What?"

April smiled, but she was steadily growing more and more unnerved by Midori's reaction. "Um…well, it's not as if you'd say no…right?"

Midori collapsed onto a stool and brooded. "Well…aw, shell, I don't know…I mean I love him, but…I don't think I'm ready for…"

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?"

There was a long silence. Midori looked April straight in the eyes. "Of course I do."

The red-headed teenager smiled. "Then go for it."

"But—but we're only seventeen…I just…do you really think it'll work?"

April smirked. "Has it worked so far?"

Midori smiled.

April then returned to the task at hand. "Alright, let's get cooking."

* * *

Raphael was on his way home. He'd had a long conversation with Casey about rings and he now had some better ideas of exactly what he wanted to do. Of course, Donatello would have to help him, at least with setting the stones. See, once you thought about it, it actually made sense that the turtles had collected some very nice rocks over the years. Rocks meaning expensive jewels, of course. After all, what better place to forage gems? What woman hasn't dropped at least one earring down the sink? And so Raphael had gone on a quest. He had found far more than he needed, at least twenty-seven earrings and even a ring or two here and there. And he now had a very fine assortment of precious gems. Whether they were real or not, Don would have to help him with determining, but at least a few of them were bound to be real.

Of course he wouldn't dream of giving Midori some shabby ring that he'd found in the sewers. He'd melt down their gold, or other respective metal, and forge a new one at the old Farmhouse, the same way they'd made Leo new katanas.

You see, a store-bought ring, in Raph's opinion wasn't good enough for Midori. It had to be something handmade by him. Something genuine that she could touch and feel, that would remind her of how much their relationship meant to him.

Raphael wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection.

* * *

**Two weeks later…**

Today was the day. Today was the day.

Raphael's stomach was tying itself into knots. He'd told Midori to meet him here, on the rooftop where he'd decided to carry her home on the night that they met. As the minutes dragged by the hothead found himself constantly repeating in his mind:

_I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._

"Hey Raph. What's up?"

Raph whirled around to come face-to-beak with Midori. His cheeks grew bright red, and he jumped a little from the surprise. _I can't do this! _His inner voice screamed as she saw her glancing at him expectantly.

"D-Do you…uh…do you…do you…"

Midori rolled her eyes, her face tinged with a hint of amusement. "I'm gonna need a little more than that, Raph."

Raph scoffed and turned his back to her. "Do you…remember this place?"

Midori frowned and glanced down at the alley below. "I remember that place. That's where those punk-robots attacked me." Her face softened and she walked over and wrapped her hands around his neck to lean in and whisper in his ear. "Before you saved me."

She kissed the side of his face softly and smirked as she realized he was blushing.

Raphael gently removed Midori's arms from around him and turned to face her slowly. "Midori…I—I love you."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Yeah…I love you too. Raph, what's going on?" Midori asked, her eyes glowing with concern.

"Will you…that is…will you…?"

She raised an eyebrow and prompted him "Will I…?"

Raph fell down on his knees, grabbed her hand and stared up into her eyes. "Will you m-marry me?" _Dammit! Why did I have to stutter?! Now she'll laugh at me!_

But surprisingly, Midori did not laugh. In fact she did not do much of anything. She just stared at Raphael in shock. _Did he just ask me to…?_

Raph took one look at Midori's expression and his heart turned to water. He bowed his head and stood slowly, taking Midori's inaction as a refusal. The emerald green turtle had to turn away to hide the tears running down his cheeks. _I knew it was too soon. _

Just as the hothead turned away Midori realized that she'd made a grave mistake and that Raph had taken her hesitation the wrong way. "Yes!"

The emerald green turtle went stock-still. _Am I hearing things? _"What?! You actually want to?!"

Midori smiled and as soon as he turned back around she pulled herself flush against him. "Don't sell yourself short, lover." She purred enticingly, kissing him passionately.

Raph did a mental victory dance and pulled away briefly so that he could twirl her around and dip her down in a very dance-like fashion. Midori smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

When Raphael pulled away there was a freshly-kindled, fiery passion burning in his eyes. Midori blushed madly.

Then Raph swept her up onto her feet yet again and kneeled in front of her. "Let's do this right." He murmured before asking again, with renewed confidence, "Midori Yamamoto, will you marry me?"

Midori giggled giddily. "Yes, Raphael Hamato, I will marry you. I will be your wife."

The turtle's face lit up with happiness as he opened the pocket of his belt and removed a small box, opened it, and showed it to her. Her breath hitched. It was gorgeous.

The ring itself was silver. A large, dark red ruby sparkled in the moonlight, accompanied by two small leaf-shaped emeralds. She stared down at the turtle in shock.

Raphael shrugged. "You once said you loved roses. I thought this would be perfect."

Midori reached down and stroked the side of his face lovingly. "It is perfect, but you didn't have to spend—"

Raph cut her off. "I didn't buy it."

She raised an eye-ridge.

Raph took her hand in his and slid the ring delicately onto her finger. "I made it for you. Well, er, I made the ring. Donnie had to help me set the stones."

Her lips pulled back into a beatific smile and she said softly, "Raphael, I wouldn't have cared if it was made of plastic. I love you. I don't need material possessions to prove it."

His lips pressed together into a thin line as he stood and took her hand in his. Bright, neon green eyes stared lovingly into hers as Raphael whispered. "You deserve the best." He kissed her deeply, silencing any objections she might have had.

When he pulled away, Midori sighed dreamily.

The two of them sat side by side on the rooftop and gazed out at the city.

"…So when do you want to get married?"

Raphael smiled.

* * *

In the end, both Raph and Midori decided to wait until they were eighteen to get married. So a year came and went. They had their ups and downs, like every couple, but the idea of marriage never faded and finally, when Midori turned eighteen, plans began to unfold.

"So, so far we've got September, January and February." the turtle said with a frown looking down at a calendar.

"I already said February's hectic enough with Valentine's day. I don't want to get married in February." Midori whined.

"Alright, then what about September or January?"

"January 15th."

"Huh?" Raph asked, a little stunned.

"I wanna get married on January 15th! We could have a white wedding!" She said excitedly, literally bouncing up and down as she waited for Raph's verdict. After all, it was his wedding too.

"Freakin' cold wedding." He grumbled.

Midori rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be such a baby, you'll be wearing a tux."

"What?! Who the shell said I'd have to wear clothes?!" Raph asked wide-eyed.

A sigh came from Midori. "It's your wedding, Reptile, and you're the groom, and the groom wears a tux!"

Raph crossed his arms over his chest. "No way."

Midori frowned, but her frown quickly turned into a smirk. She climbed onto Raphael's lap and kissed him deeply. The kiss was long and passionate and when she finally drew away Raph was left dazed.

"Hmmmm...What were we talking about again?"

Midori smirked, "About how you're going to wear a tux to the wedding."

"Oh yeah, right." He answered with a nod.

* * *

Finally, after many months of waiting, the big day arrived. And Raph was nervous as shell. Leonardo smiled as he watched his brother running about from place to place as though his life depended on it. The eldest turtle had never, in their eighteen years, seen Raphael so completely unnerved. "Relax Raph, everything's gonna be fine!"

Raph stomped out and threw his arms up in the air. "Don't say that! You're gonna jinx it! Shell, you just jinxed it!" Neon green eyes dealt Leonardo a nasty glare and poked him in the chest. "If something destroys my wedding it's gonna be your fault!"

Leo rolled his eyes. Since Mikey was taking care of the food and the cake and Donnie was doing all the tech like the mics and music, Leo was stuck with babysitting Raph until his best man came along. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Casey hadn't shown up yet.

Raphael continued running about the room he was currently using as a dressing room. Leonardo raised an eye-ridge. "Raph, what are you looking for?"

"My tie, stupid!" Raph yelled, losing control of his frustration.

Leo chuckled and held up the two bow ties that lay on the desk beside him.

Raph grumbled something about Leo hiding them from him when the door suddenly burst open.

Casey was grinning from ear-to-ear. "Hey Raph, ready to get hitched?" He asked innocently, only to get smacked in the head by his supposed 'best bud'.

"Where the shell were you Casey?! You should have been here thirty minutes ago!"

Casey held up his hands. "Sorry man, the traffic was bad and my game ran later than I expected. I figured you'd want me to clean up a little before I came on out, so there you are. Now what about you, how you feelin?" The human asked earnestly, putting a hand on Raph's shoulder.

Raph sighed. "I feel like I'm gonna explode! And I'm nervous as shell! Look at this!" Raph thrust his hand out in front of Casey's face. It was shaking. "I'm so terrified I can't even think straight!"

Leonardo stared. He'd never seen Raph open up like that to anybody before.

The hothead was about to start pacing nervously when Casey Jones grabbed him by the collar of his tux and shoved him back against the wall. The human took a tie off the desk and forced Raph to keep still as he tied it. Once the tie was taken care of Casey spoke slowly. "Take a chill pill Raph. Come on, dude. Deep breaths."

It took a few moments for the turtle to actually do as Casey said. But after a few deep breaths, feeling much calmer, the emerald green turtle put a grateful hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thanks Case."

Casey smiled. "Anytime Raph."

* * *

**Meanwhile with the bride…**

Midori was struggling to keep calm. She had never really liked the way she looked in white, and she had confided as much in her fiancé, but Raphael had insisted that if he had to wear a tux, she had to wear a wedding dress. Thing is, Raph hadn't seen the dress she picked out.

In fact, she had sent a letter to the woman that had sewn her mother's wedding dress in Japan and asked to have one made with her measurements. She had never seen a more beautiful dress in her entire life. It was very much like a kimono with long sleeves, but the shoulders were open. The bodice of the dress was red, with a white sash tied around the waist, and the skirt and sleeves were white. Midori stepped nervously out of the closet after getting dressed, wondering what April's reaction would be.

"You can come in now." She yelled, knowing that April would hear.

So far she was the only one who knew what the dress looked like, so she was a little nervous as to what April would think. April, Midori's maid of honor, was wearing an opaque yellow sleeveless gown and carrying a matching bag. As soon as the redhead stepped into the room her eyes widened.

Midori's head slowly came up to look April in the eyes and she blushed. "Well, what do you think?"

A smile spread across April's face. "Raph is going to faint when he sees how beautiful you look."

Midori grimaced. "God, I hope not."

April laughed. "Come on, let me do your hair!" April exclaimed, shoving Midori down onto a chair and immediately starting to pin the long, black hair up attractively.

* * *

It was time. Raphael could hear oohs and aahs behind him as the music began to play. He didn't turn around. He knew that if he did he wouldn't be able to stop himself from sweeping Midori up in his arms and kissing the life out of her.

As soon as she entered the room, Midori could hear oohs and aahs from everyone on either side of the aisle and she couldn't help but blush. But she couldn't take her eyes off of Raphael's form. He sure did look handsome in a tux.

She took Master Splinter's hand and he began to walk her down the aisle. When Midori had asked him to give her away in honor of her father, Master Splinter could not refuse. Not that he had wanted to anyway. He felt that such an action would be fitting, considering that Midori's mother was his greatest and most beloved friend. Upon seeing her dress, the old rat was reminded of the day he walked Hikari down the aisle in much the same manner and tears came to his eyes. _Ah Hikari, I am sure that seeing this has you filled with pride. _

Finally, as she reached the altar, Raph turned and his mouth dropped open. She was…she was…Raph shook his head to stop himself from fainting. He gripped her hand in his softly and looked her in the eyes. "I—I—you…You look beautiful."

Midori blushed and the two of them turned to face Mr. Murakami. Yep. That's right. The guy who made them pizza gyoza was going to be their moderator. Turns out Murakami had been a pastor before he decided to start a restaurant. Even better for them, his license was still in order so they would be actually, legally married. Of course, Raphael wasn't technically a legal citizen, so that didn't really matter, but still. It was nice.

"Do you, Raphael Hamato, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Raph stared deep into Midori's gleaming golden eyes. "With all my heart, I do."

"Do you, Midori Yamamoto, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Midori squeezed Raph's hand tightly. "I do."

"May we have the ring please?" Murakami said.

Michelangelo stepped forward trying his best not to squeal at the cuteness of this moment. He held the little pillow with the ring on it out to Raph and Raph took it slowly. The emerald green turtle took a deep breath before beginning his vows. They weren't exactly the traditional vows, but he had decided that he didn't want this to be a traditional wedding. "Midori…"

She looked up at him questioningly, internally dreading that something was wrong. But at Raph's soft, delicate smile she relaxed a little.

Raph took another deep breath and knelt slowly. He spoke loud and clear. "With this ring, I give you my heart, I promise you from this day forward, you shall not walk alone, may my heart be your shelter, and my arms be your home."

Midori stared at her fian—er—almost-husband in disbelief. That wasn't the vow she had been expecting. Slowly, after Raph stood, she took the plain wedding ring from Leo and turned back to Raph. "Raphael Hamato. I promise to love you without condition, to honor you each and every day, to laugh when you're happy, to support you when you're sad, to guide you when you ask for direction, to challenge you to be a better person and to allow you do the same for me, to be your biggest fan and your ever present listening audience. I will love you today, I will love you tomorrow, and I will love you forever."

Raphael had to blink back the tears from his eyes. After she put the ring on his oversized finger he grabbed both of her hands and held them tightly.

"I love you." Raph whispered. Midori smiled.

"I now pronounce you…husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Midori smirked. "Is it alright if I kiss the bridegroom?" She asked before pulling her handsome husband into a warm, chaste kiss. She never wanted to let go.

Raphael pulled her close and kissed her vigorously before regretfully pulling away. It was now time for cake and celebration, which basically translated to: no alone time. As they exited the barn under a hail of rice, Raph turned to his wife and smiled. "You look radiant, love."

She smiled and stopped to pull him into another kiss. When she pulled she smirked and tugged on his tie. "I feel radiant when I'm with you, husband."

Raphael smiled.

Later they fed each other cake, but it quickly turned into an all-out food war as Raph started throwing cupcakes at his brothers. Pretty soon April and Casey were participating, and eventually even the Mighty Mutanimals and Master Splinter joined in.

Once everyone had calmed down a little, it was time for dancing and socializing. And both Raph and Midori were practically run off their feet. Still, they danced the night away with smiles on their faces.

Finally, when everything had died down, it was time for the guests, and the family to leave. Casey had kindly offered to allow Raph and Midori to spend the rest of their 'honeymoon' at the Farmhouse…just the two of them. And of course they had eagerly accepted.

So now, before everybody left, it was time for Midori to throw the bouquet. She closed her eyes, turned around and threw it over her shoulder. Silence followed by laughter shook the crowd as Leonardo blushed blood red.

Everyone said their goodbyes and pretty soon Raph and Midori were finally alone. They both changed out of their wedding clothes and collapsed on the bed in a tired heap. Raphael wrapped his arms around her, lovingly, and nuzzled her neck with his beak. She 'mmmed' softly and murmured, "I love you Raph."

The hothead chuckled. "I love you too."

**FIN**

* * *

**Well? How was it? **


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